The day after Thanksgiving in 1979 Henry and I packed a big U-Haul truck with all our New York belongings, and the three daughters, Diane, Betsy and Kate. The day was balmy and warm, the perfect day for moving. We stopped in Greenfield for supper and groceries, then onward to Heath. It was no longer balmy. Temperatures had plummeted. It was dark and we had to unload the truck or we would have no place to sleep. The…
The pandemic has demanded many changes in our life. If we can’t go to work or to school we have to stay at home. The New York Times has read the zeitgeist and created a new section for their Sunday edition titled At Home. The large front page image has a child playing on the floor with his toys, while mom sits at a table thoughtfully putting together a jigsaw puzzle while another member of the household is…
On this beautiful sunny, but cool Garden Blogger's Bloom Day in Massachusetts, I'll take you along on my morning walk. The fringed bleeding heart has been blooming for a month against our house foundation. I thank Carol over at May Dreams Gardens, for giving us Bloom Day, giving us all a chance to see what is blooming all over our great land.
In these treacherous days of the coronovirus when many of us been laid off, children have been sent home from school, and no one can even remember what day of the week it is because we no longer have schedules, we should stop and take a deep breath. What can we do when so many must-dos no longer exist? First, we have to remember it is spring! The world is changing all around us. Birds are returning and…
A few days ago I asked readers if they recognized some plants that I could not identify. They came through, but no one could identify these two plants. That was understandable because they are so crowded together. I dug and pulled the more velvety plant away from the lacy plant. I planted it and waiting to see what would happen. I still do not know what the lacy plant is. The mystery plant, about 7 or 8 inches…
New adventures are beginning. Last Thursday four new roses were delivered from the Antique Rose Emporium (ARE). And then it snowed. Well, only a little bit of snow, and the roses are resting in our side porch, gathering strength after the trip from Texas. Three hellebores and two primroses from the Greenfield Farmers Coop joined them, all waiting to get their feet into the soil. New Roses for the New Rose Walk Quietness and Carefree Beauty are pink…
This spring I am finding daffodils growing everywhere. My approach to 'Garden Design' is fairly catch as catch can. When autumn arrives I think I must add some spring bulbs! Last year I bought several little bags at the Greenfield Farmers Coop of different varieties. I did not pay attention to bloom times, but this spring proves I got lucky. I went around the garden, which was still full of autumnal plants, if not blooms, and when I…
Fifty years ago I was cheering and celebrating the First Earth Day with hundreds of other people in the center of West Hartford, Connecticut. My five children, ages 11 to 4, were with me. I don’t know what they took in and what they made of all the excitement, but it was exciting. And I can report that Betsy, age 6 was already beginning her career as an activist. Betsy was in kindergarten at the time and she…
The bed of grape hyacinths doubled, and now they are growing right before my eyes. The growth was a great and lovely surprise. These snow drops lived up to their name and shone through a snowfall. Just a small snowfall, but still. Don't ask me to discuss nomenclature of daffodils and jonquils. I am just enjoying groups of these sunny flowers that I rather carelessly planted here and there. Lucky for me they are coming into bloom at…
April is National Garden Month, and National Gardening Day is April 14. There is also a National Garden Week founded by National Garden Clubs but we will have to wait for June 7-13 to celebrate. We have lots of time and many occasions to celebrate our gardens, and get busy! There have not been too many glorious spring days, but the weather has been sufficiently cooperative that we have gotten out to do some spring cleaning. We do…