Today is our 32nd official wedding anniversary. On our 25th, our children set themselves, their children and our friends to create squares for a celebratory quilt. The quilt hangs in our Great Room where we can tell the stories of our history together. The Nilla Wafers box patch recalls a story about our friend George who decried the 2 cookies for dessert rule - and gave each child their very own box of cookies, which they ate two…
First I have to say the very most important event of the past week was the wedding of my cousin Jay and his beloved Juliet in a beautiful garden in Manchester by the Sea. It was a glorious day and celebration was in the air. Our hotel was hosting three wedding receptions and packed to the rafters with SEVEN groups of wedding guests. Juliet is a Nanny in the classic mode. The wedding guest list was filled with her…
Yesterday famed author and illustrator Ed Young made a presentation at the Childrens Literature Festival for the young set at Buckland Shelburne Elementary School. He did everything the children asked, making a lion - and a chicken - according to their directions while he stood behind the easel and making a horse paper cut. He also had the children hold a long long scroll with a poem he had written some 20 years ago to demonstrate Chinese characters. In China,…
Creating good plant combinations and beautiful color pairings is not my forte. Obviously I don't even note such things in my garden because today, I suddenly realized that I had this great combo, a clump of crimson bee balm next to a clump of Black Dragon lilies. They are perfect together and I wasn't even trying.
Lorraine Brennan is not a woman daunted by a challenge. When she and her husband bought a house by the side of the road in Northfield 20 years ago, it was surrounded by what seemed to be acres of blacktop parking lot. Now it is surrounded by what seems to be acres of garden – trees, shrubs, and perennials. Especially daylilies. The house by the side of the road, Route 10, was perfect for Brennan’s antiques business.…
If only I could keep them down on the farm things would be in great shape! Everyone came home for a big weekend; the main project was prepping and painting the north wall of the house. Gerry was on deck bright and early Friday, but it poured - so Gerry mudded several needy walls in the house. On Saturday the paint crew was on duty. Ryan can wield a mean paint brush. Ryan, Henry, Chris and Diane were…
Malabar Farm Book Review (of Malabar Farm by Louis Bromfield 1948) by E. B. White “Malabar Farm is the farm for me, A place of unbridled activity. A farm is always in some kind of tizzy, But Bromfield’s place is really busy: Strangers arriving by every train, Bromfield terracing against the rain, Catamounts crying, mowers mowing, Guest rooms full to overflowering, Boxers in every room of the house, Cows being milked to Brahms and Strauss, Kids arriving…
I just learned about a wonderful rose site, Roger Phillip's Rose Reference, which has photos of thousands of roses and information about where you can get them, as well as lots of general rose information. I am also excited to learn from them about a rose nursery in California, AND it is having a sale! Today, the 31st is the last day for a super sale. I am going right back to the Vintage Gardens Antique Roses site.
B is for Bee Balm, otherwise known as Bergamot and Oswego Tea is more properly known as Mondarda didyma. It has been used as a tea for centuries and is still found in herbal tea blends, and other flowery tea blends such as Earl Grey. The Shakers grew bee balm commercially because of its many uses as a tea and culinary herb. It also was used medicinally for colds and sore throats. It is the leaves that are…
Summer blues are nothing to weep about. The low bush blueberries are ripening on Burnt Hill. Anthony, Drew and I went picking over at the Benson Place. You can see forever on that hill, even the spires of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. We picked and picked. For about 15 minutes. That's as long as it takes two energetic boys with the efficiently designed blueberry rake to pick about 20 pounds of berries, along with a few…