What is a community? A group living in the same area? Yes, but more. A group sharing similar interests? Yes, but more A group sharing similar concerns? Yes, but more. A group sharing friendships? Yes, and when you add all of these attributes of a community you have the Highland Communities Initiative (HCI), a project of The Trustees of Reservations. Last Sunday members of many communities gathered to celebrate the opening of the Bullitt Reservation, the newest of…
Today, just for today, I have nothing on my mind but getting to the polls to vote. I hope that is on your mind, too. In Heath we voted at the Community Hall, in the handicapped accessible downstairs which is also the Senior Center. A lot goes on at the Community Hall, Senior Lunches, Food Coop distribution, meetings, forums, parties - and voting. We use a low tech approach, using a 'machine' that counts the number of ballots,…
Saturday afternoon was perfect for a golden drive to the new Bullitt Reservation for its grand opening. This is the newest project of the Trustees of Reservations, preserving 262 acres of meadow and woodland, and retrofitting the old caretakers cottage to meet Gold Leed standards. This building will soon be finished and will serve as the new offices of the Hilltown Communities Initiative and the Hilltown Land Trust. The soon-to-be office building is super insulated, and yet breathable,…
When I was a child being driven from New York City to my uncle’s dairy farm in Charlotte, Vermont, I was sure I knew the minute we crossed the state line because I could smell the scent of manure in the air. For me, Vermont meant a perfumed cow barn and manured fields; I could think of no lovelier fragrance. I still feel that way. Gene Logsdon, farmer, anthropologist, cultural critic and author of Holy Shit: Managing Manure…
Not all my bulbs have arrived, but I spent all night dreaming about where to plant these from Brent and Becky's Bulbs. I have never grown ornamental alliums before, but there were so many beautiful varieties in gardens this year that I decided the time had come. Brent and Becky offer 26 varieties of allium. I ordered A. aflatunense 'Purple Sensation' which has a slightly airy globe of tiny violet purple flowers on a 20 to 30 inch…
October 19 CISA's own Margaret Christie will host Preserving Food: Canning, Freezing, Drying, Storage on Tuesday, October 19 from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Greenfield Community College's Downtown Center. Register with Greenfield Community College by email or phone at 413-775-1803. October 22-23 Tower Hill Botanic Garden is proud to host the Garden Club Federation (GCF) of Massachusetts' "A New England Journey" Flower Show. This floral homage to New England's literary and cultural traditions will be sure to generate feelings of nostalgia and regional…
Water is beautiful. Our Frog Pond is beautiful. We can't drink this water, but in July of 1990 it helped keep our house from burning down. The previous owners of our house used Conservation funds to enlarge the pond enough to qualify as a Fire Pond. We are so glad they did. Mostly, though we just use it for fun, swimming, catching (and releasing) newts, and ice skating in the winter. Water is essential. Out here in the…
“I do everything wrong,” Rol Hesselbart said as we looked over his garlic harvest. And, he pointed out, he did everything wrong in Michigan and Virginia before he started doing everything wrong in Heath. Hesselbart, naturalist, educator and retired national park ranger, is known locally for the size and quality of his garlic bulbs. I am one of the lucky few who scored a few to plant myself this month. His growing techniques have evolved slightly since he…
According to my records we had 4 inches of rain in August, more than half of that on August 22 and 23. No rain so far in September, at least not here in Heath. The result is incredibly dry soil, and a hose that ran dry last week while I was filling the chicken waterers. Granted, I had watered the vegetable garden with a sprinkler for 45 minutes before that, but this has never happened in the 30…
When my grandson Rory visited this summer he helped with chores, like getting woodchips for the paths in the potager. We were amazed to find something unexpected hiding in the pile. Mushrooms! At first we only saw the fine white roots but Rory kept digging very carefully and we came upon several groups of mushrooms. I don't know anything about mushrooms, so I don't know if these are edible. We didn't test them out. I've written about mushrooms…