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[caption id="attachment_22" align="alignleft" width="186" caption="Garden Mystery by First Time Author "][/caption] Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Rosemary Harris, author of gardening mysteries and an Anthony and Agatha Nominee for Best First Novel. I had read her first book in her "Dirty Business" series, Pushing Up Daisies, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Her lead character is Paula Holliday, a cheeky 40-something woman, newly single and launching a landscaping business in a small town in Connecticu...

So spring is here and the summer and fall-blooming shrubs need to be pruned—right? Well, yes and no. Don't be in a rush. Beware of pruning too early, especially those silver-leaved beauties that have only just started into growth. [caption id="attachment_268" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Perovskia atriplicifoia "][/caption] Through bitter experience, I have found that it is better to wait a couple of weeks until at least 1" of new young growth is showing.  You can always cut back later, b...

I met Michele Carlin this summer at the Pawling Farmers Market, the day she volunteered to talk to our community about beekeeping. As I watched the crowd gather around her I observed people's curiosity about this age old art. In her talk Michele noted that honey is one of the few food products that doesn't spoil. Local honey is a great remedy for colds and congestion. [caption id="attachment_1947" align="alignright" width="158"] Michele Carlin Teaching Beekeeping 101 at Pawling Farmers Market[/captio...

Watching the hummingbirds at my feeder is always a joy. Being in the Northeast I get ruby-throated hummingbirds, the most common here, and last year three females vied for the nectar in two feeders, one in front and one in back of my house. This year there is at least one male among the females. The hummingbirds are just one of the pollinators I try to support. In spring I don’t mow the dandelions, ajuga or the buttercups to allow the bumblebees to forage. A little later, my apple blossoms attract more...

The following excerpts are reprinted from an article by Frances Palmer in the May/June 2014 issue of Connecticut Gardener, with permission. Planting: I usually plant my tubers in late April, which is considered early. Most instructions advise planting tubers at the same time as tomatoes. Be that as it may, I dig a hole to accommodate the size of the tuber. If I am planting a new tuber, the hole is only a few inches down and the tuber is placed with its eye and/or new shoot pointing up. I then c...

  Thanksgiving feels like a less commercial holiday to me. In the spirit of keeping it that way I like to make table decorations with natural items found right outside my door. If you have a pair of scissors and a few craft items it's easy to create a beautiful, natural looking table that celebrates Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Placecards Create placecards with the following items: woven bags and kraft paper tags (I purchased mine at Michaels); a piece of Oasis foam; and berries and dried greens fro...

Here are 10 of our favorite tabletop ideas for Thanksgiving, using plants and fruits. For how-to instructions, click here to go to the Womanswork Pinterest board. Click on individual images to be taken to their source. [caption id="attachment_2115" align="aligncenter" width="378"] Cranberries in glass container with votive candle in center. (We used a hand blown glass by Jill Reynolds, glass artist, with a pleasingly irregular shape, for added interest). Dorian Winslow, Womanswork[/caption] [caption ...

[caption id="attachment_505" align="alignleft" width="210" caption="White Flower Farm, Litchfield County, CT"][/caption] Earlier this week Ruth Rogers Clausen met my mother and me at White Flower Farm in Litchfield County, CT. I wanted to catch up with Ruth on the topic of her new book, coming out in June (Timber Press). The title is 50 Beautiful Deer Resistant Plants, and I thought our visit to White Flower Farm provided a good opportunity to ask her what some of her favorite deer resistant plants are.Â...

  In the process of creating a successful public private partnership between a garden club and a state park in NY, a historic section of the Hudson Valley Highlands was reinvigorated with native plants, and a pollinator community of bees and birds was established. In addition, the contribution of Jane Colden, America’s first female botanist, was given a voice. Colden, who left behind a voluminous manuscript of her botanical notes, with outline drawings of leaves, lived in NY’s Hudson Valley r...

I love making paper ornaments for decorating gifts or hanging on the tree, so I often check Pinterest for new ideas. I saw an idea recently that I liked. Click here to see the video. On the 3rd try I was happy with the results. It's not difficult but you just need to know a few things to avoid the mistakes I made the 1st and 2nd time I tried it. The craft of making paper ornaments is becoming more popular, and the 'handmade paper decorations market' is large and growing.  Origami, developed in Japan, is...