C is for Coltsfoot is also known as coughwort and has long been used medicinally. It was used as a cure for coughs and lung complaints as long ago as ancient Greece when Pline and Dioscorides recommended this herb. Coltsfoot is a native of Europe; the image of a coltfoot leaf on a door in France indicated that the resident was a druggist. The dandelion-like flowers appear in the very early spring. The large leaves appear when the flowers fade…
B has to be for Bee Balm because a post I did about Bee Balm in 2009 is one of the most popular posts I ever did. I don't know quite why. Maybe I did some SEO magic without knowing? Maybe because ABC Wednesday still remains very popular, running through the alphabet for six years now? In any event, bee balm, more properly known as Monarda didyma, is an American native that has it's own place in…
A is for Apple and I found 36 varieties of Apples with names that begin with A right here. I've known about the Arkansas Black and the Arlington Pippin but that was the end of it for me. But there is also the Ambrosia apple, a modern Canadian apple similar to the Golden Pelicious, the American Summer Pearmain Apple, very juicy, the Autumn Gold apple, better than Golden Delicious and obvously, many many more! I became interested in old apple…
Dr. Douglas Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens, was the keynote speaker at the Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners Spring Symposium last week. His talk focused on the need for more insects to make our gardens – and the world – healthier and more ecologically balanced. “A mere 1 % [of all insects] interact with humans in negative ways. The other 99 % pollinate plants, return the nutrients tied up in…
I planted seeds on March 22 and now on March 27 the mesclun and lettuce seedlings have sprouted. Look close. The heat mat helps a lot. It almost feels like spring. For more Wordlessness this Wednesday click here.
Two years ago this week we left the cold and muddy landscape of Heath to visit Houston and our daughter Kate and her family. Because the landscape of Heath is currently cold and snowy I needed to revisit those sunny Houston days. One day we drove out to Cindy's Corner of Katy to visit her beautiful garden. Flowers everywhere. Cindy's corner garden is not large, but it is colorful and filled with every kind of flowers. Roses too. So…
Last summer I visited Bruce Cannon's fabulous garden. His potting bench is one of the elements that impressed me. He took an old stainless steel sink and built his potting bench around it in the shade. The faucet does work, but the water just drains out onto the ground. Yesterday I was talking to my friend Bob who is one of our town's volunteer fire fighters. Last fall the fire department held a practice and burned down an old…
“I’m not old enough to have shrubs!” a friend wailed at me one day while we were looking at her garden and she was trying to figure out how to make it more manageable. Well, small blooming trees may be the answer for those of us who are getting older. We might realize that a mixed border that includes small trees and shrubs will demand less work. The ornamental small blooming tree I have in my garden…
Yesterday I listened to bits of Puccin's operas at our local Senior Symposium put on by Greenfield Community College. This is an engaging and enlightening series of programs featuring wonderful scholars and speakers like William Fregosi, who was for many years the technical coordinator for Theater Arts at M.I.T. He talked about Giacomo Puccini's life and times. Work! Scandal! Fame! Passion! Incredible success! His estate is still collecting royalty payments for three of his operas including Turandot. Two…
No snowdrops. Just another foot of snow. For more Wordlessness this Wednesday click here.