The view from the bedroom window on November 3 shows that the grass is still lushly green. Makes us remember that lawn grass is a cool weather crop. The trees in the landscape are all bare, but a clump of hardy chrysanthemums is still holding on. We woke on November 14 to the first snow. I took a poll and one and half inches qualifies as a real snow fall. Animal tracks confirm it. The snow melted some,…
Books are the perfect gift for every occasion, and every season. Here are a few of the garden books I have enjoyed this year Slow Flowers: Four Seasons of Locally Grown Bouquets from Garden Meadow and Farm by Debra Prinzing is an encouraging book. Debra’s 52 weeks of bouquets from local flowers from ‘garden, meadow and farm’ are full of surprises and inspiration for those of us who are fearful and reluctant flower arrangers. She says she always put…
We have a winner! A copy of Cultivating Garden Style: Inspired Ideas and Practical Advice to Unleash Your Garden Personality by Rochelle Greayer, AND a copy of The Roses at the End of the Road will be sent out directly to Jan McGuane Adam - a pillar of the Greenfield Garden Club. Congratulaations, Jan!
It’s a truism that every garden is different. Gardeners don’t begin by asking “how can I make my garden unique” they begin by looking for ways to bring their passions and preferences into the garden. This search will include choosing plants and planning pathways, but it will also include finding chairs and a table for conviviality, a birdbath for attracting the birds, possibly even a protecting summerhouse. In her new book, Cultivating Garden Style: Inspired ideas and…
Poetry doesn't have much good to say about ice - but here it creates a study in silver. I am glad to sit by the cheerful fire and admire the beauty of the ice through the window. For more Wordlessness this Wednesday click here. You still have a chance to enter the Give Away of Rochelle Greayer's Cultivating Garden Style: Inspired ideas and practical advice to unleash your garden personality by leaving a comment here. Rochelle combines creative…
Mary Gardens do not bloom in December, but since the liturgical season of Advent is a time of waiting for the momentous birth of the Christ Child I cannot help but think about what a confusing time it must have been for Mary. All mothers waiting for the arrival of their first child often feel confused because emotions can range from frightened to joyous. What will the birth be like? What will the baby be like? What will…
My first blog post went up on December 6, 2007, which means I have seven happy years to celebrate on this blogoversary. In that first post I wondered whether 67 was too old to begin blogging. I guess I didn't need to worry. I don't have statistics until 2010, but since then I have written 1582 posts and received over 6000 comments. I don't feel a day older and there are many new ideas and plants, and gardeners out…
The Roses at the End of the Road is a collection of essays written about our life at the End of the Road. We found our way to Heath in 1979 and located a tumbledown farmhouse at the end of a town road. My husband checked that fact many times. What people think is our driveway is nearly a quarter mile of town road, plowed and maintained by the town. After the big snowstorm in 1982 when the…
The moss on the piazza in front of the house begins to turn lush and green as we begin the walk into winter. I went on a woodland walk to see if I could find any more moss to photograph, but I found much more. I found moss on one side of the road and on the other, wetter, side of the road. I found moss on a rotting log, I also saw a rivulet running cheerfully through…
Wouldn't we all like to peek into the new year ahead? Sometimes we can look forward to certain events with a fair amount of certainty - a baby due in May? A graduation? A special anniversary? Maybe even a new garden? The 2015 UMass Extension Garden Calendar is a great holiday gift for any gardener who is already thinking how the new year will unfold as s/he promises to be really organized and get chores done on time. The 2015 UMass…