Sawyer Hall is not the oldest building in Heath's newly designated National Historic District, but it is the building I am most familiar with. Originally built as a town library, and named after the man who put up the money, it has been added on to and functions have been added. The whole east side of the downstairs is the Heath free Public Library founded in 1894. Across the hall is the Post Office, and an office for…

There is a reason and a use for lawns. Croquet! Although I can't say that our turf is finely maintained. A cultural foray. Off to North Adams and Mass MoCa, the Museum of Contemporary Art which is housed in the renovated old Sprague Electrical Factory. The museum of part of the revitalization of this old mill town and it is just about 45 minutes from our house, across the historic scenic highway, The Mohawk Trail. We stopped to…

A few days ago Amy Stewart at Garden Rant was talking about a beautiful new book, Shed Style and Elegant Hideaways by Debra Prinzing with photographer William Wright and published by Clarkson Potter, which was all about the various useful and elegant sheds that gardeners used. Some are totally functional, but others have more elevated styles and uses. Then Amy asked all of us to write and describe our fantasy shed. I wrote about our Cottage Ornee which…

These two tiny creatures are yellow spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) that my husband dug up when he was cleaning the drain in our dirt cellar - part of the continuing work on our new foundation.These are our first cellar salamanders, but our neighbor had one living for years in his wet basement. Apparently this is not unusual. Yellow spotted salamanders can live as long as 20 years and except for their mating season in March or April (depending…

The peahen has visited in years past. We don't know where she spends most of her time - especially during the winter, but we occasionally get excited phone calls from other people who wake up to find her in their yard. Sometimes these calls are just to share exotic news, and sometimes from people who wonder if we have added pea fowl to our chicken flock. She is a mystery.This year she has been sticking around for a…

Last Monday afternoon we had a terrific hailstorm that lasted over 10 minutes. Ferocious winds, driving rain and battering hail. At least it didn't really hurt the thyme - see above. The lettuce and young squash and bean plants weren't so lucky. Still, life will not be denied! Many of the battered plants are recovering. Another reason to procrastinate and not act on that despairing impulse to rip everything out and start over.Last night there were ferocious thunderstorms.…

Obviously this is not a photo of me in the garden on Sunday morning, but there I am on my Sunday Morning Gardener show which I record in Beverly, Massachusetts on northshore104.9.Aurelia Nelson who works for the station is my partner and with the help of our producer/engineer Jay Foss we have a jolly time talking to callers, and experts like Paul Tukey of Safe Lawns and Marie Stella, garden historian and designer. Last week we were talking…

Recently I was reading Garden Rant, one of my favorite blogs, where Michele Owens talked about the magic of apple trees and said that she is one of two people whe knows who bought their house because of the blooming apple tree in the yard.I can understand this because in the spring of the year my fields are dotted with old apple trees, all in bloom right now. I can't help thinking of the former residents of this…

I've been waiting for this cyclamen to bloom for months now. It doesn't look like much and it is obvious that I have a lot to learn about getting gift plants, even those as hardy as a cyclamen, to bloom again. I do love cyclamen and when ever I fail with a potted plant I remind myself that it cost less than a bouquet of cut flowers from the florist, and gave me weeks and weks of pleasure.…

I refuse to show any more pictures of snow. I have carefully arranged this shot of fattening lilac buds to avoid any hints of the snow that still covers lots of ground. These buds on my ancient white and nameless lilacs are encouraging and I am looking forward to seeing what my newer lilacs will do this spring. I planted the pink Miss Canada about three years ago and she blooms nicely, but hasn't grown into anything substantial.…