“November glooms are barren.” William Ernest Henley It turns out that I spoke too soon about the ladybug swarming. Here in the valley we had at least four days of it. It was moderate level ladybug swarming this year. In past years there was usually one day of overwhelming prisoner… Continue reading
“Obstacles don’t block the path. They are the path.” Buddhist proverb The rituals of fall are well under way here in the valley. The chimney has been cleaned and the kitchen wood stove taken apart and cleaned. And my least favourite part of that process, putting the cleaned pipes back… Continue reading
“I am His Highness’ dog at Kew; Pray tell me sir, whose dog are you?” (Engraved on the Collar of a dog which I gave to His Royal Highness) Alexander Pope I was thinking about Kew recently when I read that those amazing wonders of nature, Amazonian water lilies, have… Continue reading
“…summer comes with flower and bee.” Mrs Hemans The heavy rains in May have resulted in the best and easiest vegetable garden I have had in many years. I have done almost no watering and everything I planted seems to be not only growing but doing exceptionally well. How often… Continue reading
“Nihil volentibus arduum.” (To the willing nothing is difficult.) Old sundial motto. It was probably unwise for a gardener to travel in the middle of May but travel I did. I was away for a week in Palm Springs and finally got to see the desert. It was hard to… Continue reading
Don’t let her understated booth fool you – Margaret Winslow is a seasoned pro when it comes to market gardening. Margaret is a member of a multi-family, 6th generation farm on Sharpe Line. The operation, known as Woodleigh Farms, was founded in 1902. Despite its historical origins, it’s clear that… Continue reading
Finally spring weather is here and we can start work in the Millbrook community garden. The garden is located next to the Old Millbrook School (where the library is) with a beautiful center flower garden looked after beautifully by the Millbrook garden club. There are 12 individual plots that can… Continue reading
A polite queue formed beside the bridge at the Mill Pond on Friday evening as members of the Millbrook Trout Unlimited organization handed out seedlings to eager residents. There were four species available: Willow, Dogwood, Eastern white Cedar and Sugar Maple. The four hundred saplings were purchased from Otonabee Conservation… Continue reading
“At Christmas I no more desire a rose Than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled mirth…” Shakespeare It took many decades for me to have snow on my April birthday. And it was not just a light dusting of snow but two inches of heavy wet snow. Dead trees fell… Continue reading
