In the early spring the daffodils and tulips start to poke out of the ground...the 2 lilac bushes begin their blooms soon after. During mid-May, I begin to add veggie, herb, and annual plantings. Also, my parents bring in boxes of dahlia tubers that have been stored in the suburbs over the winter. By July the garden is coming up in full force and the tomatoes are ripening by early August. No matter what time of the gardening season, the patio is open and shaded by a large cafe umbrella - a great setting for an open air lunch with friends or family.
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| Rezoning for Urban Agriculture (Boston, MA) - special guest Will Allen Jan 30, 2012 | ||
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This week was the kickoff and visioning meeting for the rezoning for urban agriculture in Boston. There was a long line to get into the meeting - it was packed - a good sign of things to come! |
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| Paperwhites...oh the controversial smell... Jan 16, 2012 | ||
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My very thoughtful neighbor gave me some holiday paperwhites. She mentioned that she is not so fond of the smell...my father said the same thing...why is it that I don't mind it? The three bulbs have grown about a foot and a half - they stretch upward with great strength and with a slight tilt toward my sunny living room... ...see more |
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They are pretty...I love any blossom in the winter ;o) |
| Christmas Tree...off to the compost pile! Jan 09, 2012 | ||
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The holidays came fast and furious this year. I think that I have experienced enough hosting and partying over the past 30 days to cover me for the rest of 2012! As the 12th day of Christmas has just passed, it is time to take down the tree. Fortunately, Boston has a tree composting program - for my street/neighborhood... ...see more |
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| Bootstrap Compost (Boston, MA) Dec 15, 2011 | ||
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In December, I began a trial service for a home pickup composting company called Bootstrap Compost. They are a very agreeable outfit. As I have very limited room in my urban kitchen for one of their recycled 5-gallon buckets, I asked if they would be interested in providing the service to our 70+ unit condo association (with... ...see more |
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| Parsley & Rosemary - together again... Nov 15, 2011 | ||
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After many failures of transitioning my garden herbs to my urban window sill, I finally have had some success. Perhaps it is just my year...or perhaps it was the unseasonably warm New England weather. All I know is that the parsley and rosemary are enjoying basking in the indoor city sunlight - though I am sure that close... ...see more |
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| Japanese Garden @ the MFA (Boston, MA) Nov 12, 2011 | ||
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This is a quick posting....was at the Museum of Fine Arts this fall and caught the Japanese Garden looking quite colorful...a change from its usual green palette. |
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That is beautiful |
| Fenway Victory Gardens: The glory days of the Arbor Day trees Nov 05, 2011 | ||
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We were lucky to be the recipients of some donated trees on Arbor Day this year. Fortunately the trees proved quite colorful during the fall...a nice mixture of orange and yellow - especially vibrant as the sun sets in the late afternoon. |
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| Almost over... Oct 29, 2011 | ||
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Spent a good couple of hours cleaning up the garden...though the dahlias are still going - not sure how much longer that they'll last. All of the veggies are finished - picked the last of the cherry tomatoes, eggplant, and hot peppers...and harvested some herbs too. Thankfully the chives, sage, oregano, mint, and thyme will... ...see more |
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| Trip to the Butterfly Place (Westford, MA) Oct 22, 2011 | ||
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This is highly recommended - we had a great time at The Butterfly Place (Westford, MA). Sorry for so many photos...we couldn't help ourselves! |
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| Annual Apple Picking Trip....apple crisp anyone? Oct 16, 2011 | ||
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Another sunny and somewhat warm fall day at Honey Pot Hill Orchards (Stow, MA). Our family tends to go to HPHO, but we've gone to Nashoba Valley Winery other years as well (wine tasting and apple picking!). Anyway, all went well - we go there early before the big rush and got plenty of apples (Cortland, MacIntosh, etc.). ... ...see more |
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| CSA Beets, Potatoes, and Carrots - oh my! Oct 10, 2011 | ||
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This is my first year participating in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) through Marshall's Fenway Farmstand. I had been holding onto some beets for a bit as I was looking forward to some cooler weather to do more fall/winter cooking. Also, I had received some freshly picked carrots followed by some Prince Edward Island... ...see more |
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I just got the rest of my beets and carrots from the garden and will be making this for dinner this evening. Looks so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
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| Chicago O'Hare - 1st Ever Aeroponic Airport Garden!!! Sep 19, 2011 | ||
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"The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and HMSHost are pleased to |
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| The Peterson Garden (Chicago, IL) - great people, great garden! Sep 15, 2011 | ||
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What an amazing group of community organizers. LaManda Joy, who is the creator of The Yarden and is on the ACGA board, leads this very active and sociable group of Chicago community gardeners (please see final photo for a group shot courtesy of LaManda). Pictured are Maribeth, Lindsay, Leigh, Les, Leah, Xan, LaManda, and... ...see more |
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| Dahlia, Dahlia, Dahlia... Sep 12, 2011 | ||
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What's better than a dahlia? It comes in so many shapes and sizes - and blooms all summer - great for garden viewing or cut stems for the home. My father gave me this new variety during the spring - it has proved to be an impressive flower. I wish that my photos would show its true magnificence...I'll keep trying - at least... ...see more |
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| Cherry Tomato Melange - makes for a tasty lunch! Sep 06, 2011 | ||
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As I have cherry tomatoes coming out of my ears, I thought that it would make sense to put them to good use for a quick, fresh, and tasty lunch. I first briefly saute sliced garlic in olive oil - then I toss in red cherry and yellow pear tomatoes (the color combination is perfect) to just heat them up a bit - no need to cook... ...see more |
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