This morning we had our first snow of the season. It was the type of snow event that you can appreciate and enjoy. The shovel remained in the garage as the snow didn’t stick to the driveway or roads. Lovely white flakes floated down coating the bird feeder with a thin cotton like blanket. Titmice, […]
Frankenradish
Before the frost, I took stock of my garden and started to bed down and clean up the soil. We have had an unusually warm and dry fall and yet to have a frost by the end of October. But such luck was about to run out as the forecast predicted an evening in the […]
Indian fall
The other day Juana, Charlotte and I walked into town to visit the local Farmer’s Market. It was an usually warm day that was counterbalanced by the falling leaves and the colors of fall. There were only a few stands with produce but they were thoroughly stocked. We were expecting the fall crops of peppers, […]
Prepping for fall
We came back from a two-week tropical in the land of mangos, papayas and tropical fish to falling leaves, colder temperatures and a lower, less intense sun. While the warmth of the past week or so has been welcome, it is but a last gasp tease of what we had will no longer be. A […]
Second time sweet
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 […]
The Fall of August
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 […]
Summer weeding
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 […]
Rain, rain go away
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 […]
Fool’s gold
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 […]
Slug time
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 […]