I am always taken aback in the fall when I suddenly notice my garden going to seed. It seems as though just last week I was waiting patiently for things to bloom. This morning, looking out the window, I noticed that it is almost time to get the garden ready for a long winter’s nap. I like to get leaves cut down on most of my plants before the leaves start to fall; it makes fall and spring clean ups that much easier. It also helps that I can see newly volunteered weeds emerging, allowing me the opportunity to pull them before they get too comfortable. In my more formal gardens I tend to cut …

On 9/11 I was weeding a garden in front of the Hay Scales Exchange for a landscaper friend that had more weeding work than he could handle. I had the radio on and was listening to music when I heard the news. Like millions of others around me I reached out to my husband who had been working near his parents’ house and had gone there to watch the news; I needed to hear his voice. I briefly thought of running to the school to pick up my kids and hug them tight, but I knew that wouldn’t be the right thing to do. Uncertain as to the reaction at the school though, I went home and turned on the …

I’ve always been kind of a fan of stormy weather. I find weather events exciting; you never know for sure what is going to happen. The anticipation of the storm is the best part. I love living in North Andover close enough to drive to the beach, but far enough away that I feel pretty safe from storm damage. On days like today I like to sit back with a book and a cup of coffee and watch the storm pass by with pleasure. Stormy days are great for lazing around or playing cards. During storms when my kids were little I used to pile us all on the couch and read aloud to them for hours. It helped …

I’m spoiled by my commute. I have a ride that lets me order my day in my mind on the way in to work and relaxes me on the way home. Six miles of back roads; on a given day I’m more likely to see more squirrels and cows than cars. During the warm weather I ride my scooter to work; I call her Piglet. Not only is it more fun to ride and a source of immense amusement for friends and coworkers that pass me by, it is also a very economical way to go. Piglet and I have had some fun adventures; torrential downpours, unexpected late nights at the office needing a co-worker to follow me home for safety…

It is not surprise that the advent of August, having just lulled me into my summer routine and a false sense that I can now sit back and enjoy my garden’s beauty, is the harbinger of crabgrass season. Having gone through the gardening cycle for over twenty years I know that I should just plan a vacation the first week of August every year to deal with the weeds. Alas, I’m not that into planning and vacation days are precious. Now, what would have been as simple as spending a few mornings a week pulling weeds here and there throughout July, is going to cost me a full two or more days to beat …

It happens every year and yet I’m always surprised when it does. It starts slowly at first, but then it becomes overwhelming. The bounty and delicious beauty that comes from long days toiling in the soil to bring forth the fruits of summer is gratifying and I am ever grateful. It’s probably because I’m not the one that put in the labor; I never did get my garden in this year, but I sure am reaping the benefits from the labor of friends! My forte in the garden seems to be more of the flower type gardening. I envy those that have lush and beautiful vegetable gardens. About this time of year and…

I honestly can’t say I have one favorite plant in my garden. As the season progresses one blooms as another fades; each spectacular in their own way. A visual symphony; the allegro of Irises and peonies give way to the adagio of daylilies, bee balm and hydrangeas that in turn make way for sedum and fiery burning bushes; the crescendo being the arrival of the colors of a New England Fall. Mid-Summer, adagio - the slow movement of the symphony, the days are long and lazy and the sound of Saturday morning is filled with the low hum of lawnmowers, birds chirping and chimes tinkling. The gardens …

Lavender is one of my favorite herbs, garden accents, colors and scents. I know it is cliché to say, but one of the items high on my “Bucket List” is to go to Provence to see the lavender fields. Photographs of the fields are beautiful, but I want to go and see them for myself. I have a few lavender plants growing in my gardens. With the weather we have had this year they are some of the few plants that are doing well; I’m surprised, since they r really don’t like to be too wet. As much as I like the lavender growing in the garden, this is the time of year that I harvest the flowers; just …

“First you must find... another shrubbery! (Dramatic chord) Then, when you have found the shrubbery, you must place it here, beside this shrubbery, only slightly higher so you get a two layer effect with a little path running down the middle. ("A path! A path!") Then, you must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest... with... a herring!” ~Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) No matter the size of your home or yard, nearly everyone’s house has shrubs for foundation plantings. In most cases, depending on the type of shrubs, that means that a couple times a year you need to drag out the …

The title to your home is the single most important document required for transferring ownership from one party to another. At the time you acquired your property the closing attorney had a title search done on the property spanning the past fifty years or longer depending on the timing of the property’s turnover in that period of time; most buyers will purchase additional owner’s title insurance policies to guard against any errors in the title. From the day the title is transferred into your name, guardianship of keeping your title clear falls to you. Few things can be more stressful during…

I started off my day with the best of intentions to get to weeding some of the more desperate and noticeable spots in the yard. As often happens, my feeble attempt to focus on maintenance was soon waylaid by an opportunity to create. I’m kind of lazy when it comes to upkeep in my gardens; I much prefer to muck around in a new muddy bed. Armed with a hot cup of coffee and my weed bag I began at the garden nearest the front door. Five minutes in I re-discovered a treasure that had been lurking under my Spiraea and one of the reasons I hadn’t fully weeded that bed early this spring; it was a …

"Since Iris is the Greek goddess for the Messenger of Love, her sacred flower is considered the symbol of communication and messages."  -  Hana No Monogatari: The Stories of Flowers Generally my perennial garden begins to come to its full potential with the advent of the glorious display of color brought on by one of my favorite perennials and though we are a bit late in the season the Irises are in full glory in my yard this week.   Iris is the Greek word for rainbow, apt for the array of colors in the Iris genus with over 250 species. Over the years I have collected only ten or twelve …

Once upon a time, long ago, lived a wise and powerful King named Solomon. King Solomon had many trusted advisors to help him in his reign; none more so than his wizard, Ogawa. No one knew where Ogawa came from, how old she was or from whence she gained her powers, but all agreed that she was a force to be reckoned with and King Solomon always headed her advice. One bright morning Ogawa went to King Solomon and told of a vision she had the night before, of a powerful herb that lay sleeping in the dappled light of the forest. She told him that the fairy bells of the herb could summon and …

I never really was a fan of Daylilies until I moved to a house with a lot of empty space in the yard and some unusual mowing obstacles. When we moved into our new abode, I noticed that there were prolific patches of common Daylilies both behind my house and in the woods. It seemed to be pretty filler for my empty-at the time-yard. They propagate and fill in quite well so I began with a bunch here, one over there, soon enough almost every obstacle was managed by a patch of Daylilies. You can plant them almost anywhere and Daylilies, also known as Hemerocallis, will grow and spread like a …

Sometimes it is so hard to carve out time to do things you want to do. It seems to me that lately the “must do” list has trumped the “want to do” list over and over. Last weekend, being Mother’s Day, I insisted on spending time working on a project I’ve had in mind for a couple of years; planting pachysandra around the patio in back of the house. When we built the patio I had envisioned a clean line between the lawn and our little haven making mowing easier. Armed by a wheelbarrow, hand rake, edging tool, a bucket, a teriyaki skewer, a little cup of water, rooting hormone, scissors and my …

I try to spend my yearly gardening budget wisely; generally I’ll spend the money on perennials rather than annuals. On occasion I make exceptions. My twins are graduating from Salem State University this spring, gasp two weeks from today! Around my house that means that the house and gardens need to be in tip top shape for the party with more than 100 in attendance. Of course it would have been wonderful if SSU could have checked with me to see if my yard would be ready for company in May; my yard is stellar in June, May is not its season. I realized this morning that I would need to make …

Hostas are versatile and hearty; they grow in almost any soil and can take a beating. Mostly used for shaded areas, hostas can take full sun as well. They can be used as boarders for drives and walkways or as accent plantings or foundation plantings and humming birds love them.     This is the time of year to divide hostas that have grown too large and repurpose them. Once the leaves fully open, it is more difficult to divide them and their recovery and acclimation takes longer. I have a hosta border lining part of my driveway; the last plant in the row has always seemed out of place to me, …

"Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing 'Embraceable You' in spats." -- Woody Allen Arbor day, originally celebrated in Nebraska each year on the last Friday in April, was founded in 1872 by journalist and nature lover J. Sterling Morton. Having settled in the Nebraska Territory in 1854, Morton saw the need to plant trees not only for beauty, but also for function. Selecting the right tree to plant deserves some thought as to the purpose for which the tree is intended. Trees can be used for regulating your …

I love the spring time when the garden begins to wake from slumber. It is peaceful clearing out the debris bit by bit to find friends forgotten and new treasures. I spend hours pruning and weeding the garden getting it ready for the season, but there is one garden chore that I really dislike; mulching. I’m a fairly frugal gardener, I think I get that from my Dad; I like to split plants when possible and trade them with other gardeners rather than going to the garden centers. When I do spend money on the garden I like to spend it on new plants rather than mulch. A while back I started …

I recall telling someone (though who that someone is escapes me just now) in the fall that the abundant amounts of acorns dropped in the fall last year would be the harbinger of a long and cold winter. I was reminded of this today as the annual process of reclaiming my yard from fallen debris began. Since we moved to our “new” house in 2002 the challenge of getting spring cleanup done before the end of the burn season here in North Andover, May 1, gets to be more and more of a chess game between us and Mother Nature; and as with years past, I’m not yet sure who’s winning one day into the …