Grandson Tynan, at 11, is almost 5 feet tall. Gardens are not the only places where growth is amazing.
Tynan arrived to spend part of school vacation with us and we devoted ourselves to art, the garden, and celebrating Earth Day at the eleventh most beautiful waterfall in Massachusetts.
First, off to Umass, my alma mater, to visit our friend Dan at the new Studio Arts building. He gave us a tour of the undergrad studios where we saw all kinds of art, collage, drawings, assemblages, paintings, clay sculptures, and even a work made with black headed pins.
Tynan was greeted by a Junk Man.
Then off to the famous Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. The Museum is celebrating Carle’s 80th birthday and The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s 40th Anniversary with a special exhibit. Another wonderful exhibit was of Virgina Lee Burton’s work. What child isn’t a friend of Mike Mulligan and his Steamshovel?
Back at the End of the Road there was work to do. My husband, known as The Major to the grandchildren, had to take down old barbed wire fencing around the new Potager, and clean out to give room for the squash vines to spread.
Removing a big beam and an old harrow required the help of the tractor.
Ty also helped me by cutting down 10 saplings for bean poles which I will need very soon.
Then we set off on a quest to find Tannery Falls in the Savoy Forest. The map showed a parking lot by the trail, but as we got close there was a sign saying the road was not maintained and we traveled at our own risk. It was a pretty rough road! But a very nice parking lot.
The trail is very steep, but there are occasional railings and stairs built into the hillside. There are actually two waterfalls, but the trail mostly leads beside the rushing stream that makes the larger, and very beautiful falls. We estimated it at about 70 feet high.
If there is water there must be bare feet. Even if the water is icy. 
After garden work, and a hike amid great natural beauty we came home to build a fire for the first cook out of the year.
On Saturday The Major took Ty back to his mother while I picked up my order from the Franklin Conservation District. Why didn’t I check that American Hazelnuts are a favorite food of deer, or that Serviceberry grows very tall before I ordered them. My planting scheme needs to be totally reorganized!
A brief stop at Nasami Farm run by the New England Wildflower Society. They have several large greenhouses where they propagate native plants suitable for the garden. Like this beautiful Pinkshell Azalea.
But I already didn’t know what I was going to do with my hazelnuts and serviceberry so left empty handed.
This Monday morning I can see all the growth in just one week, especially since we had three days of extremely unseasonable temperatures in the 80s. But all my attention now is on water. Yesterday afternoon the water pump died. We opened a little well in the Lawn Bed for emergency water and now we are waiting for the repair man.
Wish us luck!
Like this:
Like Loading...
Sounds like a great visit! We had a wonderful day at the Eric Carle Museum a few years ago – a special exhibit of Jerry Pinkney! I’ll have to remember Nasim Farms if I’m ever in the area.
JGH – the EC Museum and Nasami farm are both wonderful destinations. Come again.