Month: January 2019
-
Frost Flowers & Gifts of Cold Weather
Frost Flowers: Gift of Still, Cold, Dry Winter Air Mid-Winter in north country can be brutally cold –I’ll be the first to admit that single digit and sub zero temps aren’t my favorite– but if you’re willing to bundle up and explore, you’ll find that even the most frigid days have their beauty. Frost flowers […]
Read More -
A Rendezvous with Exotic Beauty: Camellia Confessions on a Winter’s Day
Camellia japonica ‘Tama-no-ura’ in the Camellia Corridor at Lyman Conservatory. My House Favorite. Camellias are not cold hardy, and although there are a few exceptions (recent introductions claim survivos in USDA zone 6), they are considered zone 7-9 plants. Perhaps that is why these alluring beauties haunt my dreams. Why do we long for that […]
Read More -
Here Come the Citrus!
Calamondin Orange Trees Blossom & Fruit Simultaneously, Providing Sporadic Harvests Throughout the Year and a House Filled with Seductive Scent It’s citrus season here in my indoor eden, and although the harvest does not include larger fruits, these Meyer lemons, Calamondin oranges and Key limes still pack a powerful punch. Is there anything more uplifting […]
Read More -
Sweet & Spicy Southwestern Frittata: Vegetarian & Delicious!
Sweet & Spicy Southwestern Frittata Warms Chilly Winter Days On these dark, chilly winter days, I often crave something hot and spicy to warm me up and get me going or to provide cozy comfort after a raw afternoon spent sanding the driveway. With a freezer full of colorful summer vegetables —like corn and bell peppers— big, fluffy frittatas […]
Read More -
Welcome Stick Season: In Praise of Beautiful Bark & Colorful Twigs
Cornus sericea : Fire in Ice In New England, winter is often referred to as stick season. It’s not a term of endearment. November, December, January and February are long, dark months, and by March we are truly longing for the green leaves that won’t appear ‘til May. Six months is a long time to live without color and […]
Read More -
Happy New Year & Welcome 2019
Acer palmatum Wears a Cloak of Ice Welcome, a very warm welcome indeed, to 2019. Last year was a tough one, filled with great loss, and I am eager to turn the page. Although we must wait until March for rebirth to begin in the garden, extra minutes of daylight have already begun to add […]
Read More