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…
It began with a birthday celebration (slightly belated) and a game of Settlers of Catan (excellent), but as we often say here at the End of the Road 'We are having fun, but we are on a tight schedule." And yet there are chores, or chores that are so unheard of in a Houston suburb, that they become entertainment. Anthony and Drew got to watching the goat milking, and then reward the goat with a stimulating brush off.…
“I guess you can see I like water,” Jane Markoski said as she gave me a tour through her gardens. There was a birdbath in the shady entry garden, a trickling fountain as you turned the corner of the house, a bubbling faux millstone fountain at the corner of the barn, a lotus tub in the middle of a mixed shrub and perennial border, a small fish pond with a waterfall, and a larger fish pond with a…
At this time of the year the walk to the hen house and back is a particular delight because of the subtle fragrance in the air. The linden trees are blooming. Lindens are also called basswood or lime trees. We planted 6 linden trees (Tilia cordata, with cordata referring to the heart shaped leaves) about 18 years ago. Three were for our three daughters, and three for the three (at the time) granddaughters. We chose them because they are…
The worm farm is celebrating its first anniversary. A year ago the grandsons helped set up the worm bin, drilling air and drainage holes, and putting in rotting leaves, compost and a little soil. All of that was really unnecessary; red wigglers are not the earthworms that live in our gardens. Red wigglers are happy with damp shredded newspaper. We started with one pound or about 1000 baby worms. The worm bin lived outside into the fall on the…