No, we didn't have an ice storm here yesterday, but many residents of Heath did form a Flash Mob! We were photographed on the steps of Sawyer Hall waving signs and cell phones (which don't actually work here) and looking mad as part of the Wake Up Call we were sending our President and legislators. We want them to Do Something in Copenhagen in December. We were only one of about 2500 groups around the world telling our…
After a chilly, even cold, week we are now enjoying a sunny warm spell. Autumn begins tomorrow but the fall into the golden season is now a gentle one. I am looking forward to a mild week because there is a lot to do in the garden. In spite of the chill, I did get to observe the eradication of the Mile-a-Minute vine in Greenfield, and visit some other gardens last week. I cannot stress how dangerous this…
Mile-a-Minute vine is the latest threat on the invasive plants front. This nasty vine has moved up from the mid-Atlantic states and is now well established in Connecticut. Massachusetts residents should be on the lookout for this fast growing vine, up to six inches a day! It has arrowhead leaves and nearly invisible but really treacherous barbs. It flowers in August and starts setting seed which begins to ripen right about now. The seed is small and blue,…
John and Mary Ellen Warchol cannot take a visitor on a tour of their display garden without urging smells and tastes. “Lemon basil makes a fabulous pesto. Taste,” John says. “Taste this. The smaller leaves are very flavorful,” Mary Ellen says. “Mmmmm. Thai basil really is different. Spicy,” I agree. I did not taste all 40 of the types of basil the Warchols grow but I gained a new appreciation for the variety of flavors that…
I almost forgot it was Garden Blogger's Bloom Day! I made a mad dash out into the garden with my camera, stopping briefly on the piazza where the Wave petunias, geraniums, Million Bells and verbena are still going strong. I don't have as many asters as Mr. McGregor's Daughter, but I do love them. These are nameless. Once heard who can forget Alma Potschke's name? She might be the brightest pink in the garden, but I always seem…
Replicas of The Roundhouse, built in 1899 were everywhere at this year's Franklin County Fair which celebrated its 161st anniversary. This edible version was a prize in the raffle supporting a major renovation of the roundhouse. It is a beautiful icon of the Fair which has shown off the handiwork and skills of farmers and residents of the county for 110 years. Nowadays there is a midway with games and rides, but for me, the heart of the Fair is…
Life will not be denied is a cry that goes up with some regularity at the End of the Road, often because some weedy thing is trying to get the better of me. But sometimes . . . there is an example of how nature simply abhors a vacuum. Earlier this year I posted about the acres of invasive yellow flags that grew in an abandoned beaver pond. Then, during the summer the dam gave way. Stinky water…
Pulling Together was the theme for this year’s Heath Fair. After such a cool, wet summer when it was hard to get a good hay crop in and Late Blight hit local farmers, as well as local gardeners who mourned over lost tomato and potato crops, it felt like we were all doing some heavy hauling. It takes a lot of people pulling together to prepare the for the Fair, from the vision and energy…
For more Wordless-ness log on to Wordless Wednesday.
Last week some friends and I declared a Girls Day Out and set off to the Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boyleston, MA. There is so much to see and enjoy and learn at Tower Hill. I always come away inspired. Some people manage to arrange several plants in a single pot for a beautiful arrangement. But it might be just as easy to get that beautiful arrangement by massing several pots with different plants together. A lesson…