Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
Recently I helped my friend Eric and sister-in-law Rosana move their possessions into a new summer rental for the next year. They have always been very generous to Juana and me inviting us to their house on Fire Island. As a gardener, the visits have forced me to return to my Long Island roots of […]
In early October as we are becoming used to the Fall, it can sometimes not be helped that we think ahead as to what will winter hold for us. And with that fascination, comes a wide variety of speculation some of which comes from the wooly bear caterpillar. The wooly bear, or more precisely the […]
Late September is often when it is time to light the first fire of the season. A cold front swoops down from the North, temporally bringing an early-season chill that needs to be removed first thing in the morning. Letting the dog out, a cold air fills your lungs with little piercing needles telling you […]
The first truly hot day of summer often happens in July and that is today. In New England we get heat sometimes in May or June but never with the oppressing humidity that defines an uncomfortable and sticky day. Most of us notice little as the air conditioned dwellings and cars make us immune to […]
The last few months in the garden have been a blur. It was a mild winter but we experienced the coldest day ever at -16 degrees. The quinces flowered around Xmas, went dormant, budded again in March, went dormant and are now attempting to make good on earlier promises. The daffodils shot up early creating […]
The part of winter that I dislike the most is the coldest day. In either January or February it arrives causing the Mercury to plunge to a yearly low, though we may not know it at the time. In Connecticut, the low is often around 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Some years it can be in the […]
The first snow of the year comes with anticipation. By the time the first flakes can reach the outstretched tongue of a child, the annuals have long since died and the perennials gone dormant. The leaves have lost most of their color becoming a gray carpet that periodically crunches underfoot. Broken branches are scattered waiting […]
Regardless of temperature, the cold of a January morning should never be unexpected in New England. Letting the dog out in the morning I am greeted with a fresh blast of air that stings my cheeks and tingles my fingers. Slamming the door quickly on the elements and the dog, I bundle up to load […]
We collect greens for Christmas to enhance the holiday decorations at home and remind us that while it is Winter, Spring is around the corner. Clippings from holly bushes; ivy vines; spruce, cedar and pine trees adorn our mantles providing a nest for candles, glass ornaments and other seasonal tchotchkes. They, the rhododendrons, azaleas, bayberry […]
Winter has come by date but not by nature. Record warmth has taken its place. Without frost or snow the gray and brown tailings of fall lie exposed. The birds, squirrels and other creatures that should be asleep scamper around finding seeds and other food easily. The bird feeders don’t require refilling daily. The wood […]