"Let's pick a fight with kale," Chris Cima, creative director at Victors & Spoils advertising agency said. The upshot, reported in the NYTimes Sunday Magazine yesterday is a PR campaign to get people to CHOOSE to eat broccoli - and lots of other vegetables. This a a great article with lots of depressing 2010 statistics: "diet surpassed smoking as the no.1 risk factor for disease and death in America . . . One is three children is on…
The first of the month record is late - as usual - but things have been so busy here at the end of the road, with Halloween parties and the beginning of Christmas baking. Fruitcakes! For the record, the first of the month felt like a tropical monsoon, with temperatures in the 70s, wind and lashing rain. The rain began during the night and by the time the wind died down and the rain stopped at noon, we…
Recently my gardening chats with friends all begin with “Have you put your garden to bed yet?" The answer usually comes with a groan, or a non-committal Mmmmmm, letting you think they might actually have done all the jobs on the fall clean up list. I certainly have not. Cleaning up in my garden begins with cutting back. I’ve cut back the astilbes, veronicas, delphiniums, Artemesia lactiflora, lilies, Achillea ‘The Pearl’, various other yarrows, and I’m almost done…
Because we are such a rural, spread-out town children can't easily go trick or treating from house to house. A Tailgate Halloween in the town center was planned, but the rain called for an instant revision. The community hall was quickly turned into Trick or Treat Central and the youngest children, baby pumpkins and kittens, arrived first, followed later by the older kids who had a map of all the houses in town where the Trick or Treat…
Heavy frost on Monday. 21 degrees yesterday! The gingkos are unleafed all at once. As is their wont. For more Wordlessness this Wednesday click here.
We had our first real heavy frost, but the sheffies are undaunted. Neither are these pink mums. No real surprise - Sheffield daisies are just another mum. It is lovely to see them on this cold morning, with the sun beginning to shine brightly. I am thinking that it may be mild enough to work outside for a few more hours today. The garlic is planted, and many beds have been cleaned up - but not all. …
Seeing Flowers: Discover the Hidden Life of Flowers with amazing photographs by Robert Llewellyn and charming essays by Teri Dunn Chace, is a beautiful companion to the stunning Seeing Trees: Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees which also features Robert Llewellyn's unique photographic process. The book, and a gorgeous 16 x 24 gallery quality print to celebrate the release of this book by Timber Press is being given away to some flower lover. All you have to do is click…
I remember chicory as a common flower of vacant lots and streetside hellstrips of my urban childhood. It seems odd to me that I see it so rarely now that I live in the country where my town has lots of dirt roads, and where even the paved roads are edged by sandy soil and woodlands or fields. I've always loved the blue flowers of chicory, and I did know that the roots were sometimes dried and ground and…
Jewelweed is one of the plants I named as a child. I was fascinated by how easy it was to rip out, although it never grew anywhere that required weeding. Nowadays, I do have places that require I pull it out, but I am happy to find it growing along my roadside. I learned that the juice of its succulent stems can relieve skin irritation from bug bites, nettle stings, and even poison ivy if it is rubbed…
I first saw Sheffield daisies at the Smith College perennial garden. It was late in the fall and I was amazed and delighted by this large clump of gloriously blooming pink flowers. I had no idea what they were, and posted the picture with a query to my readers. The answer was quick in coming - Sheffield daisies, also called Sheffies. They are strong growers and very hardy. They came through last week's frost untouched. I have grown…