The Spot Where I Dance

I love late fall when the holidays are approaching and summer seems distant.  Life slows down from the summer busyness and fall clean up, so I shift my thoughts to decorating for the holidays.  I have a few customers that like the look of natural greens for decorating, which is what I love also, so I make some of my own creations for them to hang on their doors or where ever they want them. This wreath was for a large piece of granite in the entry way of a fence. When I collect greens, I store them outside in the shade.  The days are cool in late November but the sun can still get pretty warm and dry the greens up fast.  I cover them with a tarp so if it snows or rains, I don't have work with the greens when they're wet.  I found the quality of the wreath frames are important when making wreaths.  The good ones hold the greens and don't bend when full.  The ribbons for bow making are also important when it comes to making full puffy bows.  ...

Usually when I do something in the garden now, I have a purpose.   I don’t just throw a plant in the dirt and hope for the best.   I usually have some knowledge behind my purpose and place a plant in a specific location because I’ve done a little research and know that the plant has the possibility of thriving in that area.   I am usually pretty sure that the soil has good nutritional value and the sun is about right for the plant.   Well, today I kind of threw that practice out the door and planted grass seed on a whim. It’s not that I’m completely ignorant to this; I’ve done it before.   I’ve also talked to a few of the old time Yankees that I know, like my dad, that have told me that this is a good time to plant grass seed.   It’s cold out, very cold for this season as a matter of fact.   The ground is still frozen in Connecticut, but it’s starting to thaw little by little.   We had a tremendous amount of snow this year so that makes the g...

I've been gardening since the age of thirteen.  My husband and I have owned four homes and we have done extensive rehabilitation on the properties that we have owned in different parts of the country.  The most recent property is here in Connecticut.  In 1997 I started expanding my gardening to other properties beyond my own.  After leaving my job as president of a non-profit in 2008, devoting my time to the outdoors has been my priority.  It was then, in 2008, that I started working for an arborist and began studying arboriculture.  I worked four years there learning about trees, diseases, and insects and am now involved with organizations like the Connecticut Tree Protective Association, I'm a member of the New England chapter of ISA, and have attended numerous seminars along with attending Arboriculture 101 (classes focused on the study of trees).  I entered the Master Gardener Program through the University of Connecticut in 2011 and graduated in 2...