Living and gardening in an older Hudson Valley home
Everyone’s house is special. It is often the embodiment of their style, their preferences and is above all their refuge. There are bigger, grander and more interesting houses, still I find my house charming in an old, elegant way. My house sits in the middle of 5.67 manicured acres. It is like living in the […]
Our home was constructed in 1935. We know this because the date is carved in one of the slate shingles on the roof. By all accounts it was not a great time in the United States. Unemployment remained at 20% and the Great Depression would not begin to end for five more years. Despite the […]
Over the past few weeks, I have been working on a restoration of the picnic area. This is a stone patio area surrounded by a low stone wall. We call it the picnic area, as this is how it was described to us by the Parisers, the prior long-time homeowners. They have told us there […]
It was a busy summer, and I chose not to write any blogs over the summer. While I made quick posts on Facebook and Instagram, I did not take the time to write more information. Sometimes, it is better to just live in the moment rather than document the moment. Concerts and other events are […]
The temperature today reached 87 degrees. It did not feel like Spring, rather like Summer. A week ago, I wore a light jacket, because it was a rainy week. The weather is unpredictable, especially this time of year. Still, it has been a glorious Spring. I have posted many photographs of flowers on my Instagram […]
Spring is a magnificent time of year. We relish the end of winter and the arrival of spring in all its glory. Spring gardening is some of the easiest gardening. The cold of winter causes magic to happen inside the many bulbs and tubers, causing a cacophony of color. We anxiously await the first blossoms. […]
The end of winter is fast approaching, both from a calendar perspective and an ecological perspective. Winter is a time for many indoor activities, chief among these is having fun with various hobbies. This year I tried a new hobby. I have long admired artists who paint with oils. I dabble occasionally with watercolor but […]
The internet, or more precisely Instagram, will probably be my undoing. Posts by influencers and bloggers demonstrate many clever and interesting things. I waste hours looking at posts of the seeming ease of renovating French Chateaus and English manor houses, cake decorating, gardening and countless other worthwhile, but challenging occupations. For unknown reasons, I get […]
In warmer months, I get to indulge my creative passions by working in the garden. In colder months, I invent projects that are fun and creative, especially gifts to give away. I will probably never stop making things, because I derive a lot of pleasure in the planning, sourcing, execution and giving of personal gifts […]
When one of the tree peonies bloomed this past spring, in the oriental garden, it spurred me on to continue development of this part of the garden. The blossom proved the viability of the area for the plants I hoped to grow. The oriental garden has taken longer to develop than other areas of our […]
Autumn has begun in the Hudson Valley. The days are shorter, and much cooler. The leaves are changing colors and beginning to fall. However, the weather is still good enough to continue projects outside. One of my projects is changing out deer protection on certain plants. A few years ago, I planted oak leaf hydrangeas […]
