I drove out on snowy spring days or in the dark evenings of early summer, to Cornwall and Salisbury and New Haven and Shoreham and Lincoln. I took off my boots in the houses of strangers and asked that they trust this place I might create, which I did not know how to create. I […]
garden
I’m distressed that some of the plants in my perennial garden are really overgrown and crowded. What should I do? — J. K., Wellesley, MA Fall is an excellent time to transplant perennials such as hosta, daylily, peony, iris, and a multitude of others that you can readily divide. By autumn most plants have attained […]
Tips for Natural Lawn Care
Yankee‘s gardening expert R. Wayne Mezitt recommends lawns as a great ground cover. “Mowing controls weeds, and your lawns don’t have to be big consumers of water, fertilizer, or pesticides,” he says. More garden solutions. Learn more about natural lawn care.
Homes and Gardens on Display
Yesterday I went on a house and garden tour in the next town. There are many historic houses in that town, especially on their main street, which looks more like a stage set for Anne of Green Gables than it does a real town, operating in the 21st century. But it does operate every day, […]
Read more: House for Sale: Affordable Martha’s Vineyard On Martha’s Vineyard a garden, a clam rake, and a fishing pole will provide you with a lot of exciting ingredients for your summer meals. But for those without a green thumb, or a way with the rod and reel, fish markets and some 30 farms offer […]
Around Cape Ann With a Paddle
The 20-mile Blackburn Challenge, “the East Coast’s premier open-water human-powered boat competition,” is named for a Gloucester fisherman who famously froze his fingers to his oars in order to row back from God knows where in the middle of winter in 1883. The good news is he survived. The bad news is he lost enough […]
A Strawberry Homecoming
Yesterday, friends came over for supper. Our main course was to be strawberry shortcake. It’s strawberry season here and, even though we’ve had way too much rain to make it a good year for berries, there are still wonderful berries to be had. At this time of year, we all have our favorite berry patches. […]
Dad’s Day Gifts
Here are some favorite New England products, and one from Canada, that make a hit as Dad’s Day gifts on June 20. Insect relief from Ontario: Bug repellent clothing Fly rods, paddles, and more: Outdoor gearGet Our FREE Yankee Best New England Vacations Guide! Email(Required) Subscribe Backyard oasis: Hammocks, birdfeeders Home office: Desk accessories Fitness […]
The Gary & Gerry Show
For its second Spotlight New England exhibition focused on contemporary artists working in the region, the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire, is featuring sculpture, paintings, and drawings by Gary Haven Smith of Northwood, New Hampshire, and Gerald Auten of Norwich, Vermont and the Dartmouth College faculty. The exhibition (through September 13) pairs […]
In the Wild
My father used to pay me a penny for every dandelion that I dug up out of his lawn. He was a post-war suburban homeowner, anxious to remove those blights from the carpet of green he worked so hard to create. His penny could not be had without the entire root of the plant. Just […]
Maine Attractions 2009
ATTRACTIONS Best Store to Woof About: PLANET DOG, Portland Portland earns kudus as a dog-friendly town, and Planet Dog (motto: “Think globally. Act doggedly.”) earns raves for its environmentally friendly pet products (check out the Orbee-Tuff Ball), commitment to animal causes, and pet programs. 211 Marginal Way. 207-347-8606; planetdog.com Best Chance to Land Dinner: LUCKY […]
Rhode Island Attractions 2009
ATTRACTIONS Best Rainy-Day Walk: ROGER WILLIAMS PARK BOTANICAL CENTER, Providence New England’s largest garden conservatory is still expanding its outdoor displays, but its 12,000 square feet of indoor tropical and subtropical plants, complete with palm trees, waterfalls, orchids, cacti, and many other exotic blooms and fragrances, transport visitors to a southern paradise. 1000 Elmwood Ave. […]