Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
January is too soon to expect to see any of the early Spring bulbs to flower, but this can’t be said about Lenten roses (Helleborus). After the snow melt last week, a few buds emerged under its leathery dark green leaves from one of my plants in our side garden. A few flowers had started […]
Before After As we find ourselves accepting the arrival of Winter with its chilly winds and cold precipitations, garden pests are not top of mind. But for those of us who have cold frames or store prior harvests, this is a mistake. I have been nursing a wide variety of greens in a cold frame […]
The snow storm of a few days ago was an early reminder of (perhaps) the season to come as Winter can be highly variable in Connecticut. Some years we have but a few trace dustings of white while for others over 100 inches of packed snow that don’t disappear from the landscape last until mid-April. […]
The winter garden has a different view than any other season. It is a resting garden, biding its time to launch into growth when the weather suits it. Among the populations, some of the bushes and trees hold onto reminders of warmer days. The crabapple is adorned with tiny, pendulous, dull red orbs, shriveled by […]
With most deciduous trees and bushes devoid of leaves (save some species of oak (Quercus)) the green background of the forest has morphed into muddled shades of brown and gray. But if you look hard enough the lack of foliage reveals a rich crop of fruits that wintering birds, mammals (and the occasional human) can […]
The unusual snow we had yesterday came and went in a flash. Fluffy, tasty looking specks of snow drifted down yesterday morning coating the brown ground and the few remaining leaves on the trees. Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are one of the few trees holding onto their leaves resisting the urge to abandon their perches. […]
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 […]