Excerpt from “This New England: Mount Desert Island, Maine,” Yankee Magazine, August 1981. When Samuel De Champlain named Mount Desert Island, he did so because he was so struck by the barren, deserted summits of the stretch of mountains that give the island its soft, rounded profile. Though the mountains’ summits remain deserted, the island […]
gardens
There is an old farmhouse on the edge of the town where I live that has stood forlorn and empty for as long as I can remember. It’s shabby, but it has, as architects are wont to say, “good bones.” Sometimes I think I’d like to buy it and fix it up. Other times I […]
Maine
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 […]
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Attractions 2009
ATTRACTIONS Best Historic Walking Tour: PORTSMOUTH HARBOR TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS TOUR, Portsmouth Delve into the city’s rich past on this hour-long walking tour of Colonial residences and historic landmarks, and hear the stories of early townspeople (merchants, politicians, and laborers) who helped build it into a four-star destination. Call for seasonal schedule. Reservations recommended. Greater Portsmouth […]
Rhode Island
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. […]
Those wonderful harbingers of spring are popping up in gardens and markets, and I’m doing my best to use as much of them all as I can. Fiddleheads have come and gone, but I managed to get my hands on a pound or so. I wanted to pick them myself and pickle them, but ended […]
Magazine
Poetry for the Moment
Last Friday, five poets gathered at the Chesham Church, the place of the art show, the place where the jazz concert would be held the following night. The church, which slumbers through the winter, had been the center of activity for the past week while the congregation held a work party to clean it inside […]
New Hampshire
Top 20 New Hampshire Events for 2009
See Yankee‘s travel bargains in New Hampshire Yankee recommends that you call ahead to confirm dates and times. MAY 9: AMHERST, Amherst Garden Club Annual Plant Sale. Offering more than 1,300 locally grown hardy perennials at Wilkins School. Annuals, hanging baskets, heirloom vegetable plants, unique herbs, hostas, a raffle table of garden products, garden-accessory vendors, […]
Rhode Island
Top 20 Rhode Island Events for 2009
See Yankee‘s travel bargains in Rhode Island Yankee recommends that you call ahead to confirm dates and times. MAY-OCTOBER: PROVIDENCE, WaterFire Providence. For a dozen or more Saturday evenings throughout the season, 100 bonfires will float along the darkened rivers of downtown Providence. Watch and enjoy special events–including jazz concerts and dance performances–at WaterPlace Park […]
With good reason, we felt a bit apprehensive as we approached the side-door entrance on the covered porch, after walking up from the circular driveway, with its dramatic flagpole in the middle. Already we were impressed by the almost full acre of well-cared-for lawns and perennial gardens; the crabapple trees and Norway maples; and the […]
With April showers, signs of life finally begin to spring from long-dormant earth–first the croci, then the real edibles. We talked to New England chefs about what they hanker for and why. These fresh ingredients will arrive in your gardens and local farmers’ markets at varying times depending on where you live in New England, […]
Gardens
Honey Sharp: Native Plants
To plan a successful flower garden, Honey Sharp‘s rule is to first seek out native plants; they create a link between your garden and local natural habitats. To discover species that might thrive in your garden, Honey suggests visiting nature preserves and botanical gardens that showcase regional plants. “Many woodland perennials are among my favorite […]