Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
There are few more ideal quiet times for me than sitting on my Ikea Poang chair staring out the back sliding glass doors at the backyard woods and feeders. We have two feeders in the back—one with thistle seed and the other with sunflower husks. We gave up years ago on a less expensive millet […]
As tomorrow is the Fall equinox, I thought that a scavenger hunt at Ann’s Place would be a great way to celebrate the changing season. I have put together a slideshow with the rules and the objects that people should search for in the different gardens and around the exterior of Ann’s Place. My ‘Where’s […]
For the past few years, I have planted rows of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) in the front yard near the fence. Sitting in the far north portion of my property, they don’t shade the vegetables that sit below them. Starting from seed, they pop from the soil in an unassuming fashion before becoming solar sentinels with […]
The other day we had a typical August thunderstorm that came out of nowhere, dumped a half inch of rain in a hurry, then as quickly as it arrived left leaving broken branches, wet vegetation and a cool breeze. I thought little of its aftermath until Juana called me to her art room window telling […]
“This is wonderful,” says Lisa, as she inhales the scent of fresh lavender (Lavandula) that she has picked from our herb garden. Other clients linger around the mints trying to decide which variety to choose. If it were not for the fact that everyone is wearing a mask, it would seem like any other normal […]
(This was written yesterday, power was finally restored today.) Without electricity for the sixth day, I am starting to truly appreciate how much work it takes to live without modern conveniences. Upon waking, I become a Sherpa or well-fed Gunga Din as I gather water from the cisterns to flush toilets, fill wash bowls and […]
When you live in the suburbs, it’s easy to forget the purpose of grassy fields. It’s not to hold the soil of fallow ground, but to harvest for fodder or bedding. I was surprised a few days ago as one of my favorite fields had been mowed and the cut grass was in the process […]
I feel fortunate to live where I do in Connecticut near the New York border. If I hop on my bike, which I do often, I can find myself in bucolic North Salem, N.Y., within 10 minutes. Beyond the famous residents such as David Letterman and expansive mansions and horse farms, lies a pristine land […]
I have been spending a lot of time at Ann’s Place over the last week as the weeds are starting their summer march toward domination. If I (and my trusty team of volunteers) don’t make a solid stand now, it is likely that we will lose the war of keeping these invaders in check. Ironically, […]
For the last decade, Ann’s Place has celebrated the summer solstice with a tour of the gardens, seasonal readings and a locally sourced supper or afternoon tea. Unfortunately, this has not been possible this year. This was a double disappointment for me as I had planned to open my gardens to the Ann’s Place clients […]