THIS ITINERARY covers a big chunk of Vermont’s northwestern corner, some of the most unvarnished and underpopulated nooks in the land o’ leaves. Compared with any other New England state, Vermont has more designated scenic highways (highways made more beautiful by the lack of billboards, which Vermonters have outlawed). The Green Mountain State offers beautiful […]
FORTUNATE QUIRKS OF geography have saved both the region of western Maine from Bethel to Fryeburg and the area from the New Hampshire border to the Waterfords from condo developers and the tourism industry. Most travelers passing through, usually on Routes 2 or 302, are hustling from the tourist meccas of coastal Maine to those […]
My two-foot daisy plant bloomed each fall for five or six years but stopped two years ago. The plant comes up green and seemingly healthy, but no blossoms — not even one bud. Can you tell me why this has happened and how to solve the problem? C.M., Rockland, MA The symptoms you describe may […]
How local is the Farmers Diner? The first thing you see when you walk in the door of this Quechee,Vermont, restaurant is a jukebox, glinting like any diner jukebox. Some Willie Nelson, some John Cougar Mellencamp. But half the albums are by Vermonters. Phish, sure. But it’s Grace Potter and the Nocturnals who get the […]
Okay, her palette is more subdued. But like her big New England sisters, our state also dresses up for autumn. Preferring not to flaunt her charms, Little Rhody holds them close. No mountainsides streaming red, maybe, but layers of rich color that warrant up-close inspection are what you’ll find here. In the southern part of […]
In September, the hills of western Massachusetts surrounding Hillman Farm are blazing with autumn color. Carolyn and Joe Hillman’s herd of 50 Alpine goats are outside grazing, as they are for most of the year. This pasturing of goats is largely responsible for the nuances of flavor found in the Hillmans’ Harvest Wheel, a raw […]
Growing up in Buffalo, New York, I saw fall as a harbinger of doom. All I could ever see was winter down the pike. But autumn here in New England is really a different thing, and it’s a big deal. It’s like Mardi Gras is to New Orleans — a famous tourist event, but also […]
Early autumn in New England is generally considered an ideal time to apply fertilize shrubs and trees. Here’s why and how.
Every fall I buy beautiful hardy mums, but they don’t seem to survive the winter in my landscape. What am I doing wrong? — D.B., Cambridge, MA The chrysanthemums we see everywhere commonly called “hardy mums” are really not designed to survive our challenging New England winter climate — these are seasonal beauties bred to […]
Fifty tons of fieldstone were used in the foundation of this beautiful lake house. Jim Starkey and his apprentice, James Turner, built the columns, arches, and walls during the winter of 2002. Jim learned the trade from his father, Russell O. Starkey, a lifelong mason. “This house was an unforgettable project,” Jim says. “James lugged […]
When fall comes to this lakeside family getaway in southern New Hampshire, the new color palette of golds and reds flows easily into the rooms, warming the space and creating new, enchanting views. The fireplace is amply stocked now, ready for chilly mornings when hot chocolate begins the day. Because the owner wishes to remain […]
One of David’s fall favorites is an unusual plant called Heptacodium miconioides (seven-son flower). It is a shrublike tree with green leaves during summer, but it puts on a command performance come fall. First, it produces panicles of star-shaped white blossoms in September and October. Then, its calyxes, which are green when flowering, ripen to […]
