Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
“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 […]
During the growing season, when I used to work as a high-tech analyst, I would look at and water my garden when I arrived home even before I saw my family. I found that 15 minutes of examining the tomato plants, pulling a few weeds and ensuring nothing was wilted made me a better person. […]
It is the first day this year that we can have an al fresco breakfast. Such lunches and dinners have been commonplace in the last few weeks. The mornings, however, have been too cold, too wet, too cloudy or have exhibited other characteristics that discouraged Juana and I from taking our morning coffee outside. But […]
Because of COVID-19, I have had to create on-line versions of classes for my horticultural therapy clients. This particular video is for those who use the services of Ann’s Place, a not-for-profit cancer support facility I work for. I walked (virtually) many of them through the gardens at Ann’s Place a little while back, but […]
(For some reason I did not post this last year when I wrote it. It was one of the last times I saw my mother alive.) An ice storm arrived the other day and it’s been unusual in its persistence. Typically, when such weather events occur, we receive a slight coating of ice and it […]