Life in the Hudson Valley and Catskills then and now.
“A curious belief [in Cheshire] about cowslips was that if they were planted upside down, they would come up red.” Christina Hole, Traditions and Customs of Cheshire Christina Hole is not really a gardener, but rather a folklorist interested in domestic folklore, including gardening. Editor of the distinguished journal Folklore, she was described as “rather […]
William Wordsworth might be the English writer most immediately associated with daffodils, but his sister Dorothy is the one who captured the spirit of this year’s daffodils, striving to hold their heads up against wind, rain, and yesterday evening, sleet: I never saw daffodils so beautiful they grew among the mossy stones about & about
The weather’s nice enough to start clearing out our beds. IButt’s been a long, chilly, frustrating spring. But there’s nothing like a crocus to remind you that you still don’t miss the city. Then again, you should not forget Florence White’s sage warning in Flowers as Food: Receipts and Lore from Many Sources. (My copy
I’m not sure I’d go quite that far, but another ice storm might push me over the edge. Maria Theresa Earle (8 June 1836 – 27 February 1925)was born as Maria Theresa Villiers and wrote as as Mrs C. W. Earle. She published three Pot-Pourri gardening guides starting in 1897 with Pot-Pourri from a Surrey
Winter Weather Advisory March 25
Thank you to everyone who has followed my new site! As promised, here’s a new Watson and Doyle story — not to mention a vintage recipe for cranberry aspic, just in time for the holidays!
How about celebrating with my go-to Bubble and Squeak recipe? (No cats were harmed…) Bubble and squeak is a quirky name for a dish that is mostly fried leftover vegetables, usually from Sunday lunch—making it popular for Monday lunch or dinner. It’s also a popular British appetizer. The origins of the name bubble and squeak
Happy First Birthday, Bubble and Squeak!
We’re already at Midsummer and the wheel has turned into the waning half of the year, even though to many of us, it may feel like summer is just getting started. But as of the Solstice, the the days are already getting shorter, and there are plenty of traditions that celebrate that fact. Let’s start
It’s been a pretty good week for orchids in the garden, including this first-time bloomer that I gave up on so long ago I can’t even remember its name. And these two are opening up nicely, although I had to hack back the neighboring columbine to give them room. But this week really belongs to
THIS WEEK: Had a great time enjoying a presentation on cutting gardens from Vanishing Point Farm https://www.vanishingpointfarm.com/ at the Ulster County Historical Society https://ulstercountyhs.org/. Here’s where we planted our seedlings in our “cutting planter.” Finally got the poor ferns out of doors and out of the clutches of Bubble and Squeak, who are no longer
FIVE NEW ROSES: Two new climbers: St. Swithun and Lady of Shalott Three new shrub roses: Lichfield Angel, Tottering-by-Gently, and St. Patrick’s Rose (The last obviously planted to convince the garter snake it’s not welcome in the garden.) OTHER: Doubling down on Columbines in the Woodland with seeds and bare-roots plants. Primroses (Cowslip) on North