Planting the Wild Garden by Kathryn Galbraith
My friend Kathryn O. Galbraith was recently presented with a Growing Good Kids 2012 award from the American Horticultural Society for Excellence in Children's Literature. This book, beautifully illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin depicts the myriad of ways that we all, people, birds, and animals as well as the wind and the rain plant the beautiful and fruitful gardens that grow along the roadsides, riversides and meadows. I wrote about Kathryn and her book when it first came…
Heath Fair 2012
For the first time in seven years weather at the Heath Fair was just right. Not too hot. Not too cool. Not too breezy. Just right. It seems all the world thought the day was just right, too. I don’t know how many records were broken for number of attendees or business for the various vendors, but I can tell you that when I arrived Sunday afternoon to take my turn at the new Authors Tent, set up…
A Creative Community Shows Off at the Heath Fair
Our creative community got to display its imagination and skill at the 95th Annual Heath Fair from August 17-19. The Hall exhibits range from flowers, flower arrangements, vegetables and fruits on a plate or in jars, cookies, bread, maple confections, eggs, ciders, honey, quilts, knitted or crocheted hats, sweater and scarves, lego constructions, photography, art of every sort - and all categories are organized by age. Ribbons and money can be won by everyone! I spent a lot…
More Wonders at Mass MoCA on Wordless Wednesday
I did not notice these wonders at Mass MoCA until about the fourth time through All Utopia's Fell by Michael Oatman. This exhibit is an Airstream trailer rigged up like a space capsule that has crashlanded and is hung up in the air on an old factory building, crammed with all the equipment for necessary for spacemen to live and work. Finally I noticed that this craft has God's eyes everywhere. Was Michael Oatman suggesting that God's eyes…
How We Feed the Hungry in Our Community
It is ever harder to feed the hungry in our community. So many people have been unemployed for a long time. Many other people have only part-time jobs or minimum wages jobs that do not pay enough to pay all a family expenses. We have several ways that we try to feed the hungry in our community. There are food pantries like the Center for Self Reliance, the Salvation Army and the Survival Center. We have breakfast and…
CR Lawn and Fedco Seeds
We’ve all faced the spring task of combing through the seed catalogs trying to decide which squash, or tomato or whatever variety to buy. Will it be dark green Raven zucchini, the light green Magda or the striped Safari? We might be considering days to maturity, disease resistance and spininess of the plant. If we agonize over our few choices, can you imagine what a seed company has to take into consideration? Recently I spoke with CR Lawn,…
Flax for Textiles, Oil, Nutrition and Paper
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…
Sunny Sunday With Friends and Mass MoCA
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…
Planting Japanese Iris – Pruning Trees
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…