The seed catalogs are filling my mailbox. I’m starting to make lists of vegetables to grow, paying particular attention to those that can be stored with the least amount of trouble and energy, including winter squash and root vegetables like beets. Of course, I need lots of veggies like lettuces, green beans and tomatoes, too. Many of the vegetables I plant get seeded right in the garden, but I usually buy a few flats…
Yesterday, February 2, was the day the whole United States celebrated the groundhog. TV cameras were set to watch Punxsutawney Phil come out of his burrow to determine whether or not spring is upon us, or whether we will have six more weeks of winter It is recorded that about 90 per cent of the time Phil does see his shadow which means spring is only six weeks away. While the United States, or at…
Yesterday, February 2, was the day the whole United States celebrated the groundhog. TV cameras were set to watch Punxsutawney Phil come out of his burrow to determine whether or not spring is upon us, or whether we will have six more weeks of winterIt is recorded that about 90 per cent of the time Phil does see his shadow which means spring is only six weeks away. While the United States, or at least readers of the…
Simple Gifts'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,And when we find ourselves in the place just right,'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.When true simplicity is gain'd,To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,To turn, turn will be our delight,Till by turning, turning we come round right.This little song was written by Elder Joseph Brackett at the Alfred, Maine community…
Since I have just posted about Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year, I thought I would continue with a mention of the Three Friends of Winter, the pine, bamboo and plum blossoms. These plants symbolize survival under adverse conditions.The pine is considered the chief of trees. Its trunk is straight and powerful (although I have to say that the pine that shows up commonly in Chinese art is less than tall and straight) like an upright man of…
Garbage isn’t always garbage. Sometimes it is the beginning of an indoor garden. Who among us hasn’t taken an avocado pit, planted it in a pot and enjoyed a large lush houseplant? It would never bear fruit, but it was fun to see this large seed grow into a substantial plant. Growing seeds, roots and tubers from the kitchen is a great way to remind children of the different ways edible foods are propagated. This…
For days now Chinese people have been travelling all over the country to return to their home towns to celebrate Spring Festival, the beginning of the lunar new year. During the two separate years (1989-90 and 1995-96) we spent in Beijing we learned about the importance of this holiday.In the west, New Year's Eve means a party and greeting the new year at midnight, but in China it means 20 days of celebration with family, surrounding themselves with…
There are times when it is impossible to be out in the garden - when its pouring, snowing, sleeting, freezing or too damn hot. While I do read a lot of garden books, and own a LOT of garden books so that I am never at a loss, I always have a mystery novel going as well. My friend B.J. Roche, who teaches journalism at the University of Massachusetts and writes for various regional and national publications, decided that…
I have written about SASTRUGI before. This word from the Russian refers to the snow waves that many of us notice after a snowfall, but sastrugi can take many other forms than the gentle ripples in the snow caused by the wind. We have had a least a few snow showers every day for the past week, and enough wind to blow the light dry snow across our field and into the Sunken Garden, created when the old…
Recently I’ve been writing about the books you read, for information and inspiration. Now I want to talk about the book you write, your garden journal. Garden journals are as individual as a gardener’s garden. I have seen beautifully kept journals, annotated with delicate sketches and drawings. Mine have never looked like that. I’ve seen journals devotedly kept every day of the year, with notes on the weather, what’s been done in the garden,…