Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
This is the second time that I have run a class on flavored vinegars. Last year’s activity attracted a large crowd who loved all of the different flavors we were able to create. But with every new activity I need to add a twist to keep it interesting as I have a few repeat clients […]
It was strange to see woolly bear caterpillars in late July. These inaccurate prognosticators of winter usually make their appearances in late August or early September as a first brush with cooler winds reminds us that fall is just around the corner. But this buggy memento of changing weather was not the only hint that […]
August is the time of year where I can kick back a bit and survey the garden without guilt. The rapid planting and weeding of spring is long since over and the clean up and pruning of fall has yet to come. It is too hot to split wood (at least that is what I […]
In the Northeast we seem to be caught in a perpetual shower. The days are gray with light peaking through irregularly never long enough to dry a single plant. We have not had a sunny day for the last 10 days nor are we forecasted to have one for the next 10. I continue to […]
The earth turns up new treasures with each season. After the final melt, Juana has me scour the hills looking for new stones that she can direct me to add to a wall or a garden outline. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular today, but after a foot of rain over the last few […]
As I went to harvest some rhubarb the other day, I noticed a few slugs making their way up a stalk to start chomping on a leaf. There are few creatures that will eat a rhubarb leaf as its inclusion of oxalic acid often makes its ingestion toxic. But slugs don’t seem to care as […]
Today’s downpour courteous Tropical Storm Andrea is yet another example of the unexpected typical weather patterns we have had this year. Over the past week the temperatures have varied from the low 40s to the mid 90s. We went from no rain for 10 days to 6 inches in one. It continues to amaze me […]
As we continue with another drought-ridden Spring, the desire to plant is tempered against the need to water what we have planted. But there are always commitments that we make in advance and that is what I did back in mid-March when I decided to buy Christmas tree seedlings from Musser Forests and start my […]
You can never tell what will grab the imagination of a client. An activity that you consider silly others will embrace as essential. Such has been the case with the grassheads exercise I did a at Ann’s Place. While everyone happily took their bald babies home, I had no idea that a few would bring […]
Last weekend was the first where it was evident that spring has arrived. Warm winds had melted the remaining snow of Easter and my raised beds were no longer caked with a permafrost layer binding the soil in a frozen, unworkable mass. The gardens could now have their blanket of remains removed. The first rake […]