In his typically smart and funny introduction to Bright Wings, former U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins cheerfully admits the uselessness of poetry. “Of course, if the meaning of ‘useful’ is extended from how to assemble a piece of outdoor furniture to how to engage our verbal intelligence and uplift the human spirit,” he adds, “then […]
In search of affordable oceanfront New England properties, we’ve found eight for $300,000 or less in New England’s most beautiful coastal area. Read more about Maine: Down East Stories Can you imagine a county in New England more than twice the size of Rhode Island–with only two traffic lights? Well, the town of Lubec and […]
Unlike summer warmth, colder temperatures mean that pests and even weeds are nearly eliminated. Even better: Between November and February, says Coleman, gardeners don’t have to water their plants. “The water table is higher,” he says, “and because the sun is so low, there isn’t much evaporation.”
Coleman says you can find simple, inexpensive options out there to protect your plants. If you’re already using a cold frame, he recommends getting six unused 2x4s and building an A-frame around the structure, then wrapping the new enclosure in greenhouse plastic. No cold frame? No problem. Coleman is also a big fan of “hoop […]
Coleman’s winter planting begins in early August and extends through mid-September, a period he likes to refer to as a “second spring.” “You have to get the plants established while the growing season still has something left to it,” he says.
I grew up in cemeteries. One Sunday afternoon a month, after Mass, after the midday meal of lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs, my grandmother visited the dead. Mama Rose never learned to drive, so her cousin–Uncle Rum–took her from graveyard to graveyard in his square green Ford. I didn’t have a choice; when Mama Rose […]
Grow in glass, and you can savor a tiny sample of summer at your elbow in any season. Today’s terrariums are sleek, simple, and fuss-free. Enlist any glass container–apothecary jar, soup tureen, cookie jar, canning jar, or whatever you have on hand. Choose one with a wide mouth for easy maintenance (put a lid on […]
VIDEO: Maine Farmers Share Crops On Bill and Anna Spiller’s 130-acre farm in Wells, Maine, an expanse of crops–apples, pumpkins, corn, potatoes, zukes, cucumbers, and carrots–is the result of their 42 years of hard work. Trees have been felled, rocks cleared, fields created. In recent years, a new farmhouse and barn have been added, too, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
