Last week I attended a Garden Writers workshop in Boston to learn about new trends in the garden, and in the blogs. Paul Tukey of Safe Lawns fame was on hand, too. Although we had never met I did interview him last spring when I was doing a radio show in Beverley. Phone interview are a necessity in this world we we are all so spread out, but nothing beats talking to someone in the flesh. Paul is the…
There are all kinds of gardens, perennial gardens, cutting gardens, and vegetable gardens, but right now the only garden that is giving me special pleasure is Jane Wegscheider's Art Garden in Shelburne Falls. The Art Garden is a welcoming and well stocked studio space that is available to the public, including children, to express and develop their creativity. And we don't have to do it alone. Jane is on hand to teach and demonstrate and inspire - as…
Mycotecture is a term created to describe buildings made of mushrooms, or more specifically, made of bricks made of mushroom roots known as mycelium. "Mycelium doesn't taste very good, but once it's dried, it has some remarkable properties. It's nontoxic, fireproof and mold- and water-resistant, and it traps more heat than fiberglass insulation. It's also stronger, pound for pound, than concrete. In December, Ross completed what is believed to be the first structure made entirely of mushroom. .…
CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture) is familiar to many of us because of the bright yellow Local Hero signs at farmstands, farmer’s markets, supermarkets and car bumpers. We have recognized the benefits of buying food from our local farmers: keeping our money in the local economy; preserving local farms that produce the rural atmosphere we all treasure as well as a variety of crops; and cutting down on oil-dependent food transportation. As consumers we see some of…
I took this photo of a distinct sun dog at 7:30 am on Tuesday morning. A sun dog or parhelion is a 'mock sun' or halo that appears next to the real sun caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere, although they appear in any season They most often appear when the sun is low in the sky, and sometimes more than one can appear at the same time. Last fall we saw what is sometimes called a…
This morning I was so excited while sending in my online rose order that I gave a shipping date of a month earlier than was wise. Now I have to call them and explain that my desire to get these new roses in the ground overwhelmed me, but I finally realized I have to bow to the realities of our Heath climate. Having put off planting dates, I satisfied myself by settling back to finish two excellent but…
This is a perfect Wordless Wednesday for me. Check out other Wordless wonders.
The pair of quilts we pieced together, laughing at the future’s far design my handiwork now covers a husband, babies – hers, a corpse. Carol Purington Thank you Carolyn gail for giving me the chance to be twice inspired on this Muse Day. My friend Carol Purington wrote the poem, published in her book A Pattern For This Place, and my friend Lois Holm made this quilt for me when I retired from the Buckland Library. I knew…
Last October I joined with friends, and family including Jake and Susan Bakalar, Elsa's nephew and his wife, and 'honorary daughter' Marie Hershkowitz who had been a student of Elsa's, to celebrate Elsa's 91st birthday. It was a jolly affair with a buffet brought by Jake and Susan, cards, stories, and tributes. And laughter. And champagne. Two weeks ago my husband and I visited Elsa at the nursing home and again had a jolly time. The menu was…
I've never gotten an award before so I was delighted to wake up to this award bestowed by Tinky of Our Grandmother's Kitchens. Thank you Tinky! She did say there were seven things the award givers want to know about me, before I pass the award along to seven other favorite bloggers. She also said if I was too shy I didn't have to tell all - but I can certainly think of seven things to share. Some may…