Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
At this time of year there is a welcome contrast between my property and that of many of my neighbors who have lawn services. For them and the near constant arrival of professionals with large and noisy equipment, the goal is to erase any signs of untidiness in the form of decaying plants or random […]
The phrase “Indian Summer,” is often misused in late October or early November after an unseasonably warm day. To be accurate, an Indian Summer is when it becomes unseasonably warm AFTER very cold weather or a hard frost. The Old Farmers’ Almanac has even more stipulations but I think it goes a bit far. I […]
Sometime between the first frost and the release of the last leaf from a surrounding tree, the lawn needs a final cut. The month of October has offered a welcome respite from the regularity of mowing (particularly during a wet year) as the cool temperatures and lower exposure to sun has slowed the growing process. […]
The first frost of the season usually arrives in October though the year we arrived in Connecticut it came in late September; in some years it came as late as mid-November. October though is when the growth in the garden slows to a crawl as the leaves quicken to abandon their hosts. The tips of […]
As fall arrives, many of the garden plants are dying down and with that the insects that have been feeding on them. However, we have been fortunate (or cursed) that this fall we have had a ton of caterpillars feeding on the garden greens. The worst example of this has been in a small test […]
This growing season continues to mete out surprises. Last week the golden rod was blooming and this week the blackberries started to arrive in the middle of blueberry season. Not that Charlotte was complaining. Yesterday we went to pick blueberries and she noted, “Pompi (her name for me,) there are blackberries to pick!” Before I […]
While many plants power their way though growth in the heat of the summer, lawn grass is a different beast. Making their push in the Spring to reestablish themselves, the fescues, ryes and other varieties slow down this time of year. The light bright green of early growth gives way to a duller, deeper shade […]
July is when most things in the garden start their growth sprint. Tomato plants can seem to double in size in a few days after a heavy rain and bright muggy days. Lettuces will bolt overnight given high temperatures and bright sun. And if one is not diligent, weeds will overtake everything. Such summer garden […]
If June is the month for strawberries, then July is the same for blueberries. There were a few ready last week but this morning the bushes are laden with enough berries that are blue rather than the pale immature white ones. The morning is still cool and the ground moist with dew as the sun […]
Day breaks with a clear cool sky and only slight signs of the prior day’s storm. Ted and I are ready to make our final push, returning to Charlottetown. As we look out toward the ocean and New Brunswick, a quintet of kayaks make their way east on a placid, smooth sea. The water is […]