Original Halloween traditions look nothing like the celebrations of today. Thousands of years ago, the Celtics, who inhabited Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, held the Festival of Samhain to mark the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of a new year, November 1. This was considered a time of death...the… Continue reading Trick or treat…
Category: Home & Garden
Fall Gardening…part 2
The leaves have certainly been dancing quite a jig in my garden over this past week! The magnificent Elm tree in the garden provided the most leaves for this party. My elm is huge and old and unfortunately has suffered some strong wind damage in the years that we have lived in this… Continue reading Fall Gardening…part 2
Fall Gardening…part 1
What is the busiest season in the garden...spring or fall? The verdict is out on that, however, I do know that when the sun is shining in October, there is no time to waste! Usually, Nature has a much better idea of when the snow will start to fly than the local weatherman. Lately,… Continue reading Fall Gardening…part 1
Downton Abbey…the movie
Highclere Castle, in Newbury England (70 miles from London), is the setting for the fictional Masterpiece Theatre series and newly released movie, Downton Abbey. I, like millions of others, watched every episode (six seasons 2011-2016) of the Masterpiece Theatre series of Downton Abbey. To say, "I loved it", would be the ultimate understatement! Julian Fellows, the… Continue reading Downton Abbey…the movie
The most wonderful time of the year…
I'm sure you've seen the "Staples" commercial, (The Most Wonderful Time of the Year) that plays on TV during the back to school season. Parents gleefully wheeling their carts down the aisles, loading up on school supplies, barely concealing their enthusiasm about the kids going back to school! I, too, was always happy to see… Continue reading The most wonderful time of the year…
Espalier…
The technique of espaliering trees or plants against a flat surface originated in ancient Rome. In the northern hemisphere, a south-facing wall is best for espalier and vice versa for the southern hemisphere. South or west-facing walls (northern hemisphere) reflect sunlight and also retain heat which extends the growing season. Taking advantage of… Continue reading Espalier…
The Wind in the Willows…
"The Wind in the Willows" is a much-loved children's book by Kenneth Grahame about four animal friends. This photo of a Weeping Willow almost mirrors the scene of the first meeting of Mole and Rat (characters from the book) at the river. Rat then takes Mole for a boat ride. Weeping Willow trees… Continue reading The Wind in the Willows…
A Kitchen Garden…
The interiors of the movies written and directed by Nancy Meyers... "Something's Gotta Give", "The Holiday", "The Intern", and many more... are the envy of most of us, but it's the kitchen garden in "It's Complicated" that I have coveted. That garden had the formal "bones" consistent with the French style potager. I… Continue reading A Kitchen Garden…
The Greenhouse…
Ahhh...Spring the season of unpredictable weather! We've seen it all where I live...warm, sunny days followed by wild winds and rain and my favourite...the snowy, sleet and sunshine mix within minutes of each other! I've spent the week in the greenhouse transplanting the seedlings I started in March. The fireplace has been… Continue reading The Greenhouse…
Dahlias…
Dahlias were discovered by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century growing wild on the Mexican hillsides. Botanists were brought along on these excursions to the New World to bring new plant species back to the homeland. Empress Josephine, who had a special fondness for dahlias, first introduced them to France (in the 1800s) and… Continue reading Dahlias…
