In the world of giant-pumpkin growing, Steve Connolly is one of its stars. In 2000 he became the first New Englander to crack 1,000 pounds. At the 2010 Topsfield Fair he turned in a 1,674-pounder, the world’s third-largest pumpkin that year. We caught up with Connolly, a plastics engineer, at his backyard pumpkin patch in […]
garden
The fall season in New England with all of its color is a relatively short period between the summer greens and the winter white. Transitions by their very nature are volatile, and this past week, a violent cold front broke a streak of hot humid weather with cooling winds and spectacular lighting. The calm after […]
On Route 100 in Vermont, between Morrisville and Stowe, Thea Alvin’s unique stone arches, circles, and sculptures are a familiar sight. “Does your husband do this?” the man asks Thea Alvin, as he sweeps his arm, a gesture encompassing all that can be seen from the road: the loop de loop rock wall and an […]
A legendary family created two magnificent spaces in Shelburne, Vermont, that locals consider the best backyards in the country.
One of Vermont’s best hidden gems is Perennial Pleasures, an English tea garden in the Northeast Kingdom. There’s a certain subset of New Englander whose affection for Old England is almost counter-revolutionary. By osmosis or birth, they inherit a deferential Anglophilia that sets the U.K. as the standard for All Good Things and inspires a […]
Gardens
More Photos of Giant Pumpkins
Giant-pumpkin grower Steve Connolly shared some photos of his enormous pumpkins.
Magazine
Pickle Day | Yankee Classic
When I think back on pickle day, I see Aunt Etta in the side yard. And I hear, at times, the rare sound of my Grandmother’s laughter.
Avid gardener and blogger Michael Gordon, who lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire, shares his secrets on how to create the perfect backyard garden.
The leaves on my lily plants are all tattered and chewed. I noticed small bright-orange/red beetles on them, and also gooey black insects under the leaves. What should I do? Both the grub (larva) and adult lily leaf beetle (also called the Asiatic lily beetle) feed on true lilies (not daylilies) in spring and summer. […]
Massachusetts
Pettengill Farm’s Vintage Bazaar
I am always on the hunt for something to finish up a room or reinvent a space. It drives my husband nuts, and me sometimes too, but when I find the right piece, I can move on to the next room—until I find another piece that completely derails my “finished” space. And truthfully, old vintage […]
Fish & Seafood
Swordfish Kabobs | Summer Grilling
The winter holiday season might be the most popular time of year for partying and eating, but there’s nothing like the fun and flavor of a summer barbecue, complete with in-season, garden-fresh dishes. These swordfish kabobs have become a staple in my house this summer. They’re perfect for a weeknight dinner, but also special enough […]
The “Upper Valley” along the Vermont/New Hampshire border is a collection of little-known small towns featuring the New England we all look for. You’ll find beauty, nature, soft adventure, art, and so much more.