Flax for Textiles, Oil, Nutrition and Paper

  • Post published:07/30/2012
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Rory had to go home to reorganize for Boy Scout camp, but not before he caught this snake in the garden. He has such sharp eyes. I've seen a lot of snakes this summer, but none as pretty as this one. We keep Rory pretty busy with travels and projects - and chores. He began the garlic harvest and I finished today. Time with Granny and The Major is never complete without a couple of stints in the…

Eli Rogosa and the Heritage Wheat Conservancy

  • Post published:07/28/2012
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“O beautiful, for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain . . .” These words, written by Katherine Lee Bates in 1895 capture an image of our country that we still treasure today. However, there are differences between 1895 and 2012. The tall waving wheats that gilded our midwest in 1895 are now only a foot tall, barely shuddering in the breeze.. The early 1940s saw the beginning of the Green Revolution, an agricultural shift that used technological…

Meadows – and Art – Are Where You Find Them

  • Post published:07/27/2012
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During our trip to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art I found a new way of looking at meadows and art. The plan is to turn Mass MoCA's rear access utility road into a green space  and a work of art. The Rounds are created by using rammed earth and dry-stacked stone. The Rounds provide places to sit and visit and picnic in the midst of wildflower gardens. Thyme is a another featured plant in this meadow. I…

Sunny Sunday With Friends and Mass MoCA

  • Post published:07/25/2012
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That's Tinky Weisblat's blueberry cake and frosting. More food coming out of the kitchen. We built up our strength before heading of Mass MoCA Not My car. I look good in it though. Off to our favorite museum, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, with grandson Rory. This sculpture is made of discarded barriers from the Canada-US border.  You can ride it, and I did. The O Canada exhibit was fabulous! Grandson Rory is NOT responsible for the crash…

Rol’s Vegetable Garden – Productive and Beautiful

  • Post published:07/23/2012
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Rol's vegetable garden is one of the wonders of Heath. His is one of two very different gardens that I visited last week. My neighbor Rol is the garlic and onion king. This spring he coordinated a group order of onions from Dixondale Farm. I  bought 60, and though we planted at the same time I can tell you that my onions look nothing like his. Weeding and watering seem to be  key elements to success. Many of…

Planting Japanese Iris – Pruning Trees

  • Post published:07/21/2012
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One of the benefits of the summer garden tour and event season is the chance to meet new people with unique passions and knowledge. When I attended the Western New England Japanese Iris Show in Shelburne Falls at the end of June. I saw exhibition blossoms of beautiful Japanese irises grown by local gardeners, stunning arrangements, and was inspired. Japanese iris bloom from mid-June into July, coming into flower when the Siberian and then the bearded iris seasons…

Chamomile or Pineapple Weed

  • Post published:07/19/2012
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Chamomile is an herb used in many herbal tea mixtures designed to relax and lure the drinker to sleep. I first heard of chamomile tea when I was read Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. After Peter returned from his adventures with Mr. McGregor his mother dosed him with chamomile tea and put him to bed. I tried making chamomile tea when I was a young child, but having no access to real chamomile my attempts were unsuccessful and…

Rose of the Day – Rosa setigera

  • Post published:07/18/2012
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Rosa setigera, sometimes known as the climbing prairie rose, is a native American rose, and while it is a climber it merely arches gracefully in my climate. It blooms later than the other roses and is a particular pleasure. I bought it at Nasami Farm the propagation arm of the New England Wildflower Society. For more (almost) Wordlessness this Wednesday click here.  

Hardy Kiwi Foliage a Stunner

  • Post published:07/17/2012
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The hardy kiwi vine (Actinidia)  is possibly the only plant I ever wanted specifically for its foliage. I first saw it at Lakewold Gardens, a historic estate and gardens near Tacoma, Washington. In that beautiful garden it was growing neatly on a trellis and I was fascinated by the pink, white and green leaves. It grows exuberantly on our shed next to the hen house and is in need of a serious pruning that will require a good…

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day July 15, 2012

It's Bloom Day and this is the big show in my garden right now, the daylily bank.  I have records of the names of these daylilies, but I'd be hard put to identify them all now. Many of the roses just have a bloom or two, but The Fairy will go on and on. I have one in each of the Lawn Beds. The Purington rambler rose, an old un-named rose, has been and will be exuberant for some…