Green to Orange and Red: The green we see in tree leaves is the pigment chlorophyll. Stored in chloroplasts in the watery cytoplasm of plant cells, it is responsible for creating food for the plants. Chlorophyll uses the sun’s energy to split water molecules and recombine them with carbon dioxide in the air to make […]
Living
1. This posh 16×16-inch Morris pillow ($140) features a wool-felt stripe motif appliqued on organic cotton flannel (cheery Pod pillow, $164). Made by Balanced Design of Providence, Rhode Island. 401-486-3589; balanced-design.com 2. Stimulating and playful, this Color Blox hand-hooked wool-felt rug (seven sizes, $80-$1,925) pops against a neutral color palette. Made by Dash & Albert […]
Click here to see the New England Shores colors from the 2008-09 color forecast. Some colors may no longer be available. Click here to read Yankee home editor Polly Bannister’s story on paint colors from New England.
How To
Basic Canning Tips
1. Use only clean, perfect canning jars (no nicks or cracks). You may reuse jars, but always use new seals and rings. 2. Start with cold water when you boil the jars, seals, and rings to sterilize them. Use a rack or trivet to keep jars off the bottom of the pot. Heat to the […]
Homes
More Paints We Love
California Paints Based in Andover, MA. Premium paints and historic colors, 100% acrylic latex. 800-225-1141, 978-623-9980 californiapaints.com Benjamin Moore Paints Historic hues and old favorites. benjaminmoore.com Mythic Paint High-performance, with no volatile organic compounds. 888-714-9422 mythicpaint.comGet Our FREE Yankee Best New England Vacations Guide! Email(Required) Subscribe Old Village Paint Colours Fifth-generation paintmaker, with authentic colors […]
Celebrate the last warm days of the year with an al fresco meal — packed in a basket that takes care of the environment you’re hoping to enjoy. Irish-born glassblower Simon Pearce and his company of designers and artisans have been Vermont fixtures since 1981. Their Willow Picnic Basket ($295, including everything) is made from […]
Gardens
Ask the Naturalist: Foliage
This question isn’t as silly as it might sound at first. Unlike the orange and yellow pigments that are present in a leaf all summer (but are revealed only when green chlorophyll starts to break down and fade), the red pigments, anthocyanins, aren’t produced until autumn. It takes a significant amount of energy to produce […]
When we first corresponded with the owner, we weren’t sure whether to visit this property. The owner is well-known artist and sculptor Kendra Ferguson, whose work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Harvard’s Fogg Museum, and others. When she told […]
New England paint colors range from subdued, earthy tones to bright, vibrant hues, but all draw from the rich landscape and history of the region.
Well, in Rutland, Massachusetts, for instance. This place has more than 4,000 cedar shingles, 1,300 bricks, hardwood floors, a granite foundation, windows and doors that open easily, and vintage kitchen appliances. All in all, it’s a beautiful model of a regular house, skillfully and meticulously built by Don H. Lovett Sr. and Helen L. Eddy. […]
Gardens
Defense of the Norway maple
I live in a small house with many windows. From mid-October to Thanksgiving, the front and sides bathe in a fierce yellow light, thanks to the leaves of the Norway maple that grows in the eastern tree zone. Its leaves hold the light of the sun; even at dusk and on overcast days, there’s a […]
Are there trees and shrubs that flower in the fall that I can use in my landscape? — R.M., Lincoln, MA A good number of herbaceous perennials (soft-stem plants that die to the ground in winter) bloom during the fall in New England — including Aconitum, Aster, Chrysanthemum, Sedum, and Filipendula, among others — but […]