November 2022
Think. What is the best day of the year? You are right if you said Thanksgiving.
Standing by the window, patiently waiting for each one of my extended family to arrive - I remember years past, recalling, as a child, the excitement that surrounded this holiday.
Today the table is set with our best china, the turkey is stuffed and basted, and all the veggies are peeled and ready to roast. The smell of Thanksgiving is permeating the house. Better than any candles!!!! It is the start of the most wonderful time of the year – the start of the holiday season. We reminisce with our aunts and cousins how we spent this holiday together as children so many years ago.
As the country became more urban and family members began to live farther apart, Thanksgiving became a time to gather together. Sometimes it is the only time we see family members we have not seen since last November.
The American holiday is particularly rich in legend and symbolism, and the traditional fare of the Thanksgiving meal typically includes turkey, bread stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. The celebration now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. And, of course, we all try to arrive in time to experience each and every Macy’s Day parade.
In 1924 the Macy’s department store in New York City launched the first-ever parade on Thanksgiving Day. The original parade featured six miles of elephants and camels from the Central Park Zoo. But the animals were soon replaced by oversized balloons in 1927. It was called the Christmas Parade. Why, because Santa came to town at the end of the parade and the holiday season was officially upon us. As children we were glued to our television sets waiting for his arrival.
Now as adults, we can fill our days and weeks ahead with visits to friends, ice skating in the park, lots of shopping trips to the stores. And there are our favorite Christmas movies we watch every year, without fail – White Christmas, The Bishop’s Wife, It’s a Wonderful Life - to name a few. Whatever we love to do and wait for all year to enjoy because we consider it part of our Christmas celebrations starts around that table on the fourth Tuesday of November.
The holidays are here. Let’s enjoy them.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and count your blessings out loud!
Standing by the window, patiently waiting for each one of my extended family to arrive - I remember years past, recalling, as a child, the excitement that surrounded this holiday.
Today the table is set with our best china, the turkey is stuffed and basted, and all the veggies are peeled and ready to roast. The smell of Thanksgiving is permeating the house. Better than any candles!!!! It is the start of the most wonderful time of the year – the start of the holiday season. We reminisce with our aunts and cousins how we spent this holiday together as children so many years ago.
As the country became more urban and family members began to live farther apart, Thanksgiving became a time to gather together. Sometimes it is the only time we see family members we have not seen since last November.
The American holiday is particularly rich in legend and symbolism, and the traditional fare of the Thanksgiving meal typically includes turkey, bread stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. The celebration now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. And, of course, we all try to arrive in time to experience each and every Macy’s Day parade.
In 1924 the Macy’s department store in New York City launched the first-ever parade on Thanksgiving Day. The original parade featured six miles of elephants and camels from the Central Park Zoo. But the animals were soon replaced by oversized balloons in 1927. It was called the Christmas Parade. Why, because Santa came to town at the end of the parade and the holiday season was officially upon us. As children we were glued to our television sets waiting for his arrival.
Now as adults, we can fill our days and weeks ahead with visits to friends, ice skating in the park, lots of shopping trips to the stores. And there are our favorite Christmas movies we watch every year, without fail – White Christmas, The Bishop’s Wife, It’s a Wonderful Life - to name a few. Whatever we love to do and wait for all year to enjoy because we consider it part of our Christmas celebrations starts around that table on the fourth Tuesday of November.
The holidays are here. Let’s enjoy them.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and count your blessings out loud!
October 2022
HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEN!!!!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEN!!!!!
Part Two
Like trees for Christmas, or eggs for Easter, pumpkins pop up everywhere around Halloween. The pumpkin is this season’s hallmark, and on ‘all hallow’s eve’, pumpkins will light up the streets all over the country.
It’s been a good four months since you planted those pumpkin seeds. Have you established a bumper crop?
Pumpkins are ripe and plentiful in the fall, just in time for Halloween. These big orange fruits are used in many ways. Pumpkin is nutritious and good to eat. Pumpkins can also be used for decoration. The history of pumpkins and their use at Halloween contains a mixture of interesting facts and Celtic folklore.
The use of the English term Jack O'Lantern for a Halloween pumpkin came from Ireland. Legend has it that a man named Jack managed to overtake the devil in a deal, preventing the devil from taking his soul. However, as Jack had been evil, stingy and selfish during his life, he was denied entry to heaven when he died and, as promised, he was not summoned to hell. Jack's soul was thus doomed to wander for eternity and people began to draw scary faces on their vegetables to keep him away from their homes.
Fast-forward to the late 1800s, when Halloween party hostesses started using pumpkins as decorations, And fast-forward to 2003 — when Pumpkin Spice Latte was born!
So maybe you will carve those pumpkins and place them on your stairs or at the front door to let the trick or treaters know you are expecting them. Or maybe you will bake a delicious pumpkin pie for desert tonight. Either way, have some fun. Save those pumpkin seeds and make yourself a treat.
Here is a great recipe to try. Roasted cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds. Yumm. A perfect sweet and salty fall snack! Preheat oven to 300 degrees, mix 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt, 1 ¼ cups pumpkin seeds, 2 tbs. of white sugar and 3 tbs. of melted butter. Toss evenly and spread on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly brown, about 40 minutes.
Enjoy the holiday and enjoy a pumpkin spice latte while you wait for the doorbell to ring.
.
It’s been a good four months since you planted those pumpkin seeds. Have you established a bumper crop?
Pumpkins are ripe and plentiful in the fall, just in time for Halloween. These big orange fruits are used in many ways. Pumpkin is nutritious and good to eat. Pumpkins can also be used for decoration. The history of pumpkins and their use at Halloween contains a mixture of interesting facts and Celtic folklore.
The use of the English term Jack O'Lantern for a Halloween pumpkin came from Ireland. Legend has it that a man named Jack managed to overtake the devil in a deal, preventing the devil from taking his soul. However, as Jack had been evil, stingy and selfish during his life, he was denied entry to heaven when he died and, as promised, he was not summoned to hell. Jack's soul was thus doomed to wander for eternity and people began to draw scary faces on their vegetables to keep him away from their homes.
Fast-forward to the late 1800s, when Halloween party hostesses started using pumpkins as decorations, And fast-forward to 2003 — when Pumpkin Spice Latte was born!
So maybe you will carve those pumpkins and place them on your stairs or at the front door to let the trick or treaters know you are expecting them. Or maybe you will bake a delicious pumpkin pie for desert tonight. Either way, have some fun. Save those pumpkin seeds and make yourself a treat.
Here is a great recipe to try. Roasted cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds. Yumm. A perfect sweet and salty fall snack! Preheat oven to 300 degrees, mix 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt, 1 ¼ cups pumpkin seeds, 2 tbs. of white sugar and 3 tbs. of melted butter. Toss evenly and spread on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly brown, about 40 minutes.
Enjoy the holiday and enjoy a pumpkin spice latte while you wait for the doorbell to ring.
.
September 2022
Autumn Has Arrived
and it’s Nature’s grand finale. You can hear it in the whispering leaves.
The first day of summer here in our part of the world is Tuesday, June 21 - the longest day of the year. The official end of summer comes a full three months later, on Thursday, September 22. But the unofficial end of the summer season is Labor Day. The last day of summer is determined by the autumn equinox, which marks the first day of fall.
Everywhere you look, you can see the visible changes as nature prepares for winter: birds are flying south, temperatures are getting cooler, leaves are changing colors, and animals’ coats are thickening, to name a few.
Fall is a unique season that delivers unmatched beauty. It brings such pleasure to our senses. The delight of cooler temperatures after a long hot summer. Its vibrant colors of reds, oranges and browns. The taste of pumpkin spice in everything. The sound of crunching leaves underfoot. The smell of wood smoke. You want to go for long walks through the woods, gather golden leaves to press in a book, take a deep breath and inhale the smell of a fireplace put to work once again.
Autumn light is the loveliest light there is," wrote author Margaret Renkl. "Soft, forgiving, it makes all the world an illuminated dream."
It is by that light (even if there is less of it with each passing day) that we witness the harvest moon, pumpkins stretching as far as you can see in an open field, wildflowers blooming along roadsides, squirrels secreting away nuts, and the first frost.
But it's mainly those beautiful, technicolor deciduous trees we love to look at, your maples, oaks and elms. "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is in flower," wrote Albert Camus.
What a wonderful season and it is here for us to enjoy. Don’t waste a moment of it.
and it’s Nature’s grand finale. You can hear it in the whispering leaves.
The first day of summer here in our part of the world is Tuesday, June 21 - the longest day of the year. The official end of summer comes a full three months later, on Thursday, September 22. But the unofficial end of the summer season is Labor Day. The last day of summer is determined by the autumn equinox, which marks the first day of fall.
Everywhere you look, you can see the visible changes as nature prepares for winter: birds are flying south, temperatures are getting cooler, leaves are changing colors, and animals’ coats are thickening, to name a few.
Fall is a unique season that delivers unmatched beauty. It brings such pleasure to our senses. The delight of cooler temperatures after a long hot summer. Its vibrant colors of reds, oranges and browns. The taste of pumpkin spice in everything. The sound of crunching leaves underfoot. The smell of wood smoke. You want to go for long walks through the woods, gather golden leaves to press in a book, take a deep breath and inhale the smell of a fireplace put to work once again.
Autumn light is the loveliest light there is," wrote author Margaret Renkl. "Soft, forgiving, it makes all the world an illuminated dream."
It is by that light (even if there is less of it with each passing day) that we witness the harvest moon, pumpkins stretching as far as you can see in an open field, wildflowers blooming along roadsides, squirrels secreting away nuts, and the first frost.
But it's mainly those beautiful, technicolor deciduous trees we love to look at, your maples, oaks and elms. "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is in flower," wrote Albert Camus.
What a wonderful season and it is here for us to enjoy. Don’t waste a moment of it.
August 2022
Naming Your Home
And why not? It used to be that only grand estates, castles and beachy cottages had names. Personally, I’ve always loved the concept of giving your home a name, even if you don’t live in a proper “manor.” Especially if you don’t live in a manor. It feels regal, stately, and, yes, a lot of fun.
Naming your house is a great way to define identity, add character, and show affection for that place we call home!
When choosing a name for your home - here are a few tips that will help. Gaze out your window and look at the landscape and your natural surroundings. Are you surround by pines? Is there a stream on your property or a wonderful dogwood growing in the front of your home?
Examine your house. Does it have a unique feature, a particular style, or type of architecture that stands out? What kind of dwelling is it? A cottage, a chateau, a lodge, or a farm? Perhaps you should think about your favorite books. Is there a name from literature that catches your fancy? Anne of Green Gables lived in a home with green gables. Heathcliffe’s home was Wuthering Heights – (Emily Brontë explained the origin of the word 'wuthering' in the novel – exposed to stormy weather) or you can lend your sur name to your abode. My daughter Amy Green lives on Winter Green Farms. Who do you think lives at L’Aberge Gaudreault? Anything is possible because you are in charge. Whatever you imagine is allowed.
The tradition of naming your house harkens back centuries before we used a numbering system and people once named their homes instead of streets to serve as an address. House names were historically based on location or the family name. But we don’t have to own a grand mansion to name our homes.
A survey undertaken for the property website Globrix, found that one in fourteen said they would be prepared to pay more for a home just because it had a name. Even those that were not prepared to pay more said their opinion of the property would improve, with 40 per cent saying they would be more interested in viewing a property with a name.
So, you have decided on the perfect name. Now what? Put a plaque near the front door or above your brass knocker. Have its name embroidered onto towels or pillowcases.
I hope I have convinced you to think about christening your home.
There is power in naming. It signals our ownership and projects our persona out into the world. It shows our affection and our reverence for the structure – the four walls and roof – that shelters us. And it is a lot of fun!!!
July 2022
Hill Top Farm, Near Sawrey, Cumbria, England
Home of Beatrix Potter
Home of Beatrix Potter
During my years of employment, I was so fortunate to work for a gentleman who amassed one of the largest collections of Beatrix Potter’s watercolors, sketches, and books. Every day that I passed that glorious gallery wall of her work in his home, I became increasingly enamored with her life. She was a feminist way before her time, at a time when women had no right to vote and virtually no access to higher education, very rarely owned property and were themselves considered the property of their husbands, Beatrix Potter became a commercially successful writer and artist, using the royalties from her books to purchase her famed Hill Top Farm. She, like so many other great women in history, cleared a path for future generations of strong women.
In 1905 with the proceeds from her first book, the Tale of Peter Rabbit, she bought a farm in the Lake District of England where her gardens became legendary. She used Hill Top Farm and the surrounding countryside as inspiration for many of her subsequent books and it is also where Beatrix fell in love with farming. Her gardens are a haphazard mixture of flowers, fruits and vegetables and you can almost imagine Tom Kitten scampering about. Ms. Potter wrote thirteen of her twenty-three books there, and many1 of her most famous scenes are set on the farm. In the cottage garden, for example, there is the rhubarb patch where Jemima Puddle-Duck tried to hide her eggs.
From the first blooms of spring through the chill of autumn days there is always something to see. It is the epitome of the British garden, and her spirit still lives within its walls. Hill Top gardens attracts over 100,000 visitors every year.
And this love for the countryside led to her becoming one of the great land conservationists of the 20th century. Indeed, Ms. Potter's childhood drawings and paintings of plants and animals reveal an early fascination with the natural world that would continue into adulthood—fueling her professional life, personal pastimes, and her conservation of England's Lake District.
She became passionate about the conservation of Herdwick sheep, a breed native to the Lake District. She bred and raised her own flock, for which she won many awards. Even more unbelievable, Beatrix Potter was the first woman to be elected president of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders' Association, quite a feat for a woman of that time. She was also instrumental in helping the National Trust acquire other farms and land facing the threat of development.
When she died in 1943, Beatrix left 4,000 acres of countryside to the National Trust, along with her fourteen farms and her sheep. Today that land is home to an estimated two-thirds of the world's population of Herdwick sheep tended to by National Trust rangers and tenant farmers. The National Trust also manages Hill Top as her personal museum, having left it furnished just as it was during her life. Beatrix Potter was much more than one of the best-known artists of the century but was a woman of fierce determination and perseverance. Women today owe her quite a vote of thanks.
Peter Solomon, the gentleman for whom I worked, has recently donated much of his collection to the Houghton Library on the grounds of Harvard University, his alma mater, so that the students and the public are able to enjoy the wonderful talents of this renowned artist.
In 1905 with the proceeds from her first book, the Tale of Peter Rabbit, she bought a farm in the Lake District of England where her gardens became legendary. She used Hill Top Farm and the surrounding countryside as inspiration for many of her subsequent books and it is also where Beatrix fell in love with farming. Her gardens are a haphazard mixture of flowers, fruits and vegetables and you can almost imagine Tom Kitten scampering about. Ms. Potter wrote thirteen of her twenty-three books there, and many1 of her most famous scenes are set on the farm. In the cottage garden, for example, there is the rhubarb patch where Jemima Puddle-Duck tried to hide her eggs.
From the first blooms of spring through the chill of autumn days there is always something to see. It is the epitome of the British garden, and her spirit still lives within its walls. Hill Top gardens attracts over 100,000 visitors every year.
And this love for the countryside led to her becoming one of the great land conservationists of the 20th century. Indeed, Ms. Potter's childhood drawings and paintings of plants and animals reveal an early fascination with the natural world that would continue into adulthood—fueling her professional life, personal pastimes, and her conservation of England's Lake District.
She became passionate about the conservation of Herdwick sheep, a breed native to the Lake District. She bred and raised her own flock, for which she won many awards. Even more unbelievable, Beatrix Potter was the first woman to be elected president of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders' Association, quite a feat for a woman of that time. She was also instrumental in helping the National Trust acquire other farms and land facing the threat of development.
When she died in 1943, Beatrix left 4,000 acres of countryside to the National Trust, along with her fourteen farms and her sheep. Today that land is home to an estimated two-thirds of the world's population of Herdwick sheep tended to by National Trust rangers and tenant farmers. The National Trust also manages Hill Top as her personal museum, having left it furnished just as it was during her life. Beatrix Potter was much more than one of the best-known artists of the century but was a woman of fierce determination and perseverance. Women today owe her quite a vote of thanks.
Peter Solomon, the gentleman for whom I worked, has recently donated much of his collection to the Houghton Library on the grounds of Harvard University, his alma mater, so that the students and the public are able to enjoy the wonderful talents of this renowned artist.
June 2022
HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEN!!!!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEN!!!!!
Part One
Oh wait a minute. It’s not time to carve your jack-o-lanterns. It’s time to plant their seeds. Raising your own pumpkin patch, whether it is for decorations or making pies, can be fun. Even though pumpkin season is several months away, it is important to know that the prime pumpkin-planting time is now. Different varieties need various amounts of days to become completely ripe. You should choose the planting variety based on when you plan on harvesting your pumpkins for your fall activities. Plant your seeds in June for a Halloween harvest. It’s key to have your pumpkin crop ready in October! In general, pumpkins take 3-4 months to grow from a seed into a plant with several mature pumpkins on it.
Buy ready to plant seeds from your local plant nursery or garden store. It’s highly unlikely that you will need all the seeds, so it’s best to make some seed selection. What you want to pick-out are the big-sized seeds as they are the ones that have a higher chance of growing bigger and flowering.
Keep in mind that there are plenty of varieties of pumpkin (like the gorgeous Cinderella pumpkins). The Cinderella Pumpkin, also known as Rouge Vif d’Etampes, is a large heirloom pumpkin variety known for its classic ribbed shape and deep orange-red rind. These pumpkins are revered for their beauty, and are said to be the inspiration for famous illustrations of Cinderella’s Carriage. Rouge Vif D’Etampe pumpkins are believed to have originated in France and were popular in the markets of Paris during the 1880’s. In 1883, W. Atlee Burpee purchased the seeds and introduced the variety to the United States where it is now known as the Cinderella pumpkin. Today Cinderella pumpkins can be found at specialty grocers and farmers markets in Europe, the United States, Asia, and Australia. The Cinderella variety also makes a fantastic cooking pumpkin. You can make a wonderful French Pumpkin Pie. This is an extraordinary treat of pumpkin, apples, brown sugar, and pecans encased in puff pastry. You can get the complete recipe from Saveur. There I go again loving all things French.
Other popular ones are Autumn Gold, Dill’s Atlantic Giant, and Casper. Autumn Gold is excellent for carving Jack-o-Lanterns. Dill’s Atlantic Giant is primarily chosen if you want to grow giant pumpkins. Lastly, if you wish all-white pumpkins, then Casper is the go-to option. Casperita is a mini white pumpkin variety.
Pumpkins love sunshine; plant your pumpkins where they will get lots of sun. The more the better. Pumpkins love water. While growing pumpkins will tolerate some drought, it is best to make sure that they get regular watering. Make sure your pumpkin plants get 2 to 4 inches of water a week. Supplement with the hose if you are not getting this much rainfall.
When you harvest your pumpkin plant, make sure you leave a good, long piece of the stem on the pumpkin. Once you cut potential Halloween pumpkins from the vine, a “handle” or stem will help slow the rotting process. With these pumpkin growing tips, you should have a much better chance of growing all the Halloween pumpkins you could want. Remember also, not only is growing pumpkins fun, but after Halloween, they make a great addition for your compost pile.
After carving these masterpieces, save the seeds and roast them. They are a great snack while waiting for the
trick-or-treaters. ……To be continued in my October column.
May 2022
Lilacs
The National Garden Bureau has declared 2022 “the year of the lilac.” Lilacs can grow for 100-plus years, often outliving the homes they were planted around. Purple lilacs represent love and spirituality; they traditionally have the strongest scent. White lilacs symbolize purity and innocence.
I was destined to fall in love with the lilac. Lilacs evoke the sweet smell of spring and as I once reported to you in one of my columns it was my mother’s favorite. We would have to search for days to bring her a bouquet on her birthday in May. Nothing else would do.
Lilacs are among the most carefree spring-flowering, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrubs (or small trees), well-loved for their toughness, reliability, and fragrance.
During the first years of my marriage my husband and I were looking way upstate for our forever home. We found this old, very derelict structure (a handy man special) but the grounds were magnificent. Thirty lilac trees surrounded the old run-down house. I wanted it immediately as I had fallen in love with the gardens. Jim was not enough of a handy man so common sense prevailed. But think of the terrific source for all those May bouquets.
This flowering shrub was first brought to our country in the 17-century and grown in English gardens. In 1750 lilacs were the first shipments of plants sent to America to satisfy the memory of new settlers in their homes. In 1852 a Frenchman, Victor Lemoine, started breeding lilacs and amassed 200 some plants which today are still popular and grown in many landscapes. Another reason I love all things French.
Lilacs have a myriad of uses in the garden. In addition, new sizes, a wider range of growing zones, and reblooming characteristics make them attractive and accessible to gardeners who may not have thought about growing them in the past.
These plants are at home in so many types of themed gardens, including pollinator, butterfly, cutting, fragrance, cottage, deer-resistant, and single-color (white, purple) gardens. Although I picture lilacs growing around my grandmother’s cottage, lilacs are very adaptable in modern gardens. Lilacs of any size can be impressive specimen plants. These versatile shrubs are equally comfortable at the edge of a woodland garden or in an urban setting. In containers, small varieties are moveable accent plants. Lilac colors blend so well together, they are beautiful in a grouping or in hedges.
Tip: If you are not sure about your soil’s drainage, try this test. Dig a hole 8 inches across and a foot deep, fill it with water. If any water remains in the hole after an hour, choose another planting area.
Lilacs love fertile, slightly alkaline soil. If your soil is very acidic, add garden lime in the fall. Check the plant label for the height and spread of the mature plant and choose a planting space that will allow for growth. Dig the planting hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide, set the plant in the hole; it should be at the same soil level as it was in its container. Fill in around the sides with soil. Press it in firmly and water well.
Lilacs add so much to a garden. Think about planting one or two shrubs or trees this spring. You don’t need thirty trees surrounding your home. Just one or two will add so much color and beauty. Their scent is delicious, and they can evoke so many wonderful memories of childhood visits to Grandma’s gardens. You will enjoy your lilacs for many, many years.
The National Garden Bureau has declared 2022 “the year of the lilac.” Lilacs can grow for 100-plus years, often outliving the homes they were planted around. Purple lilacs represent love and spirituality; they traditionally have the strongest scent. White lilacs symbolize purity and innocence.
I was destined to fall in love with the lilac. Lilacs evoke the sweet smell of spring and as I once reported to you in one of my columns it was my mother’s favorite. We would have to search for days to bring her a bouquet on her birthday in May. Nothing else would do.
Lilacs are among the most carefree spring-flowering, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrubs (or small trees), well-loved for their toughness, reliability, and fragrance.
During the first years of my marriage my husband and I were looking way upstate for our forever home. We found this old, very derelict structure (a handy man special) but the grounds were magnificent. Thirty lilac trees surrounded the old run-down house. I wanted it immediately as I had fallen in love with the gardens. Jim was not enough of a handy man so common sense prevailed. But think of the terrific source for all those May bouquets.
This flowering shrub was first brought to our country in the 17-century and grown in English gardens. In 1750 lilacs were the first shipments of plants sent to America to satisfy the memory of new settlers in their homes. In 1852 a Frenchman, Victor Lemoine, started breeding lilacs and amassed 200 some plants which today are still popular and grown in many landscapes. Another reason I love all things French.
Lilacs have a myriad of uses in the garden. In addition, new sizes, a wider range of growing zones, and reblooming characteristics make them attractive and accessible to gardeners who may not have thought about growing them in the past.
These plants are at home in so many types of themed gardens, including pollinator, butterfly, cutting, fragrance, cottage, deer-resistant, and single-color (white, purple) gardens. Although I picture lilacs growing around my grandmother’s cottage, lilacs are very adaptable in modern gardens. Lilacs of any size can be impressive specimen plants. These versatile shrubs are equally comfortable at the edge of a woodland garden or in an urban setting. In containers, small varieties are moveable accent plants. Lilac colors blend so well together, they are beautiful in a grouping or in hedges.
Tip: If you are not sure about your soil’s drainage, try this test. Dig a hole 8 inches across and a foot deep, fill it with water. If any water remains in the hole after an hour, choose another planting area.
Lilacs love fertile, slightly alkaline soil. If your soil is very acidic, add garden lime in the fall. Check the plant label for the height and spread of the mature plant and choose a planting space that will allow for growth. Dig the planting hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide, set the plant in the hole; it should be at the same soil level as it was in its container. Fill in around the sides with soil. Press it in firmly and water well.
Lilacs add so much to a garden. Think about planting one or two shrubs or trees this spring. You don’t need thirty trees surrounding your home. Just one or two will add so much color and beauty. Their scent is delicious, and they can evoke so many wonderful memories of childhood visits to Grandma’s gardens. You will enjoy your lilacs for many, many years.
April 2022
AN ENCHANTED APRIL
Have you ever wondered how at the moment of sunrise
the Easter Bunny quickly hides each Easter egg surprise.
He keeps a clever compass tucked inside his vest
That helps him hide the Easter eggs in places that are best.
Nestled in a tuft of grass, behind the potting shed.
the garden gate or in the flower bed.
Anonymous
Have you ever wondered how at the moment of sunrise
the Easter Bunny quickly hides each Easter egg surprise.
He keeps a clever compass tucked inside his vest
That helps him hide the Easter eggs in places that are best.
Nestled in a tuft of grass, behind the potting shed.
the garden gate or in the flower bed.
Anonymous
Yes, I always hunt for treasures behind my potting shed. I might not find a decorated Easter egg. No, instead I come across a deep purple grape hyacinth pushing aside a tuft of grass to reach the sun. Or maybe some of those daffodils or crocuses I planted last October. Treasures - each and every one.
Next to the thawing snow and warmer weather, nothing brings more joy with the coming spring than flowers. With their petals stretching in full bloom and their brightly popping colors, flowers hold the power to lift the human spirit with a single glance or with a whiff of their sweet aroma. Also, there is no better way to give your home an immediate spring refresh than with fragrant and delightful spring flowers.
Leave some in that border where they are appearing. But you can cut a few stems so you can enjoy them on your nightstand, in your living room or anywhere that you can appreciate their beauty. Use some of those bottles you have collected for your horticulture specimens. Or hunt for special containers. I look for them at all the flea markets and thrift stores where you can find any number for pennies, such as apothecary vials in tinted colors or my favorite - an etched perfume bottle that had lost its atomizer that I purchased for one dollar.
A single flower in a small bottle can stand alone or make a wonderful statement if displayed with other bottles, each containing just one stem. And then there are special vases made specifically to accommodate a bulb. You can place one on a sunny windowsill and watch a blue or pink hyacinth appear.
Spring has definitely arrived in all its glory and it is truly enchanting to roam your garden and enjoy all the beauty Mother Nature so generously shares with us.
* Please note, however, daffodil stems secrete a sap after cutting, which is harmful to other flowers. Therefore, it is best to put them in a separate vase at first. After a few hours, the stems will not lose any more sap making it possible to combine with other flowers. Re-cutting the stems will not cause new sap. Put them in a clean vase and add a drop of chlorine so that bacteria do not stand a chance.
March 2022
Over the past 30 years I have had the absolute great luck of living in two homes, both with potting sheds. In this day and age, how unbelievable is that! One was quite large, big enough for me to entertain twelve at a sit-down dinner celebrating “a mid summer’s night”. Mine now is tiny in comparison, but wonderful just the same. It is an extension built behind the garage but it has all the trimmings (greenhouse windows, lots of low beams to hang and dry my summer blooms and a dirt floor.) A place where I can admire a stack of clay pots that nature is having its way with and to breathe in the wonderful aroma of thick potting soil (ambrosia to the gardener in me.)
But you don’t have to live on a farm or in an old Victorian to enjoy all the advantages that a potting shed can bring to your garden.
You may be able to carve out a section in your garage just for you. Or you can set up a potting table behind your home or perhaps against one wall of your garage. Maybe add a couple of shelves affixed to the wall above it where you can store some of your pots. Another excuse to look for those wonderful hand-made clay pots so artfully displayed in your favorite nursery. Now add some hooks where you can hang a rake or a hoe, etc.
You’ve heard of the “He-Shed” or “She-Shed” right? Sometimes you just need a space of your own away from the rest of the household. These are becoming a hot item at the big box stores. And many homesteaders and gardeners make their potting sheds large enough to accommodate their personal time too. If you are lucky enough to have space for a shed on your property and, even better, a shed big enough to fit that old easy chair you were planning on replacing, it will become a place to rest after a busy day of chores in your garden and a wonderful use for a potting shed!
It can become a place to escape the pressure and stresses of life and to relax and get a little enjoyment. Let go of your worries while interacting with the most incredible gift of mother nature, aka plants.
It is a little bit of heaven!!!! And right in your own backyard.
Over the past 30 years I have had the absolute great luck of living in two homes, both with potting sheds. In this day and age, how unbelievable is that! One was quite large, big enough for me to entertain twelve at a sit-down dinner celebrating “a mid summer’s night”. Mine now is tiny in comparison, but wonderful just the same. It is an extension built behind the garage but it has all the trimmings (greenhouse windows, lots of low beams to hang and dry my summer blooms and a dirt floor.) A place where I can admire a stack of clay pots that nature is having its way with and to breathe in the wonderful aroma of thick potting soil (ambrosia to the gardener in me.)
But you don’t have to live on a farm or in an old Victorian to enjoy all the advantages that a potting shed can bring to your garden.
You may be able to carve out a section in your garage just for you. Or you can set up a potting table behind your home or perhaps against one wall of your garage. Maybe add a couple of shelves affixed to the wall above it where you can store some of your pots. Another excuse to look for those wonderful hand-made clay pots so artfully displayed in your favorite nursery. Now add some hooks where you can hang a rake or a hoe, etc.
You’ve heard of the “He-Shed” or “She-Shed” right? Sometimes you just need a space of your own away from the rest of the household. These are becoming a hot item at the big box stores. And many homesteaders and gardeners make their potting sheds large enough to accommodate their personal time too. If you are lucky enough to have space for a shed on your property and, even better, a shed big enough to fit that old easy chair you were planning on replacing, it will become a place to rest after a busy day of chores in your garden and a wonderful use for a potting shed!
It can become a place to escape the pressure and stresses of life and to relax and get a little enjoyment. Let go of your worries while interacting with the most incredible gift of mother nature, aka plants.
It is a little bit of heaven!!!! And right in your own backyard.
February 2022
Enjoy a spring preview of flowering branches! Just prune non-essential branches of spring-flowering trees such as forsythia and pussy willow and place in a vase. This age-old practice, called “forcing branches,” brings the color and beauty of blooms inside to cheer up those late winter blahs. Here’s how to do it.
It’s easy! All you need is a pair of clean, sharp pruners (and a spring-flowering tree or shrub!). No special expertise is required. You’ll be pruning the non-essential branches of spring-flowering trees, so don’t worry about hurting your shrub or tree. In fact, this will get you outside to do the late winter pruning that’s essential at this time of year.
Note: Branches won’t flower until they’ve had a proper cold period, usually about six weeks. January is a great time to force forsythias and witch hazels. By February, try eastern redbud, cherry, and red maples. By mid-to-late February, consider lilacs, honeysuckle, willows, and magnolias. If you have pussy willows, they are a great choice for forcing indoors. They don’t require water, and they last for ages. (Wait until the downy catkins have broken out of their casings.)
How to Prune Branches
How to Force Branches
Once you’re inside, set the branches in a vase or vessel at room temperature overnight. Cut slits from the cut up the branch for several inches to promote water uptake. (Make sure the vase won’t tip with the heavy branches.)
Enjoy a spring preview of flowering branches! Just prune non-essential branches of spring-flowering trees such as forsythia and pussy willow and place in a vase. This age-old practice, called “forcing branches,” brings the color and beauty of blooms inside to cheer up those late winter blahs. Here’s how to do it.
It’s easy! All you need is a pair of clean, sharp pruners (and a spring-flowering tree or shrub!). No special expertise is required. You’ll be pruning the non-essential branches of spring-flowering trees, so don’t worry about hurting your shrub or tree. In fact, this will get you outside to do the late winter pruning that’s essential at this time of year.
Note: Branches won’t flower until they’ve had a proper cold period, usually about six weeks. January is a great time to force forsythias and witch hazels. By February, try eastern redbud, cherry, and red maples. By mid-to-late February, consider lilacs, honeysuckle, willows, and magnolias. If you have pussy willows, they are a great choice for forcing indoors. They don’t require water, and they last for ages. (Wait until the downy catkins have broken out of their casings.)
How to Prune Branches
- Choose a day when the temperature is above freezing. The milder temperatures help ease the transition the plants must make from outdoors to indoors.
- Select branches that are not essential to the form of your shrub or tree, in a crowded section, and towards the back of the plant.
- Prune a 1 to 2 foot-long length of branch. Choose a branch with lots of buds, preferably with very small buds that are beginning to open. (The flower buds are generally fatter and more rounded than leaf buds.)
How to Force Branches
Once you’re inside, set the branches in a vase or vessel at room temperature overnight. Cut slits from the cut up the branch for several inches to promote water uptake. (Make sure the vase won’t tip with the heavy branches.)
- Keep vase in a bright room away from heaters and direct sun. The brighter the room, the better the quality of bloom.
- Recut the ends using a slanting cut the next day.
- Change the water every few days so the branches don’t rot from build-up of bacteria forming. Mist flowers.
- Flowers should appear in a few weeks. Once blooms appear, display in a warm area and enjoy!