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…
Snoopy asked the question, “Is there any reason why mealtime should not be a joyous occasion?” In our family we have always welcomed the chance for joy three times a day, but in recently mealtime has been an anxious time for many people across the country. There have been a number of local responses to the plight of families who have been affected by the economic downturn. The Belly Bus showed up on the Greenfield Common last week…
Nearly 30 years ago when Thom Chiofalo first saw this plot of land in Rowe it was nothing but woods and an impossible slope. Now the approach is a green wall of hemlock set on a mossy carpet. When the sunburst gate flies open it reveals a vista of water and a grove of trees. A few more steps and I was enthralled by the vastness of the sky and the welcoming walks that lead down the broad…
Carol over at May Dreams Gardens held a lottery for this CobraHead weeder, but the Cobrahead company was so generous they felt everyone should be a winner. They promptly sent out our prizes and mine arrived just in time to start the major chore of fall weeding. I am embarrassed to tell you how many weeds my new Cobrahead dug out of this small area - dandelions, grass, and more. And it took only a few minutes. Of…