Cook, For Goodness Sake!
Remembrance Borscht By Linda Garrettson Several years ago, I had the pleasure of traveling from Beijing to Moscow on the Trans Siberian Railroad with my godson, Max. Fascinating glimpses of China and Mongolia sped past our window as we made our way to Moscow. Endless stretches of Siberian tundra, forests and Lake Baikal graced the […]
April, Nature Journaling
Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins Spring is the perfect time of year to begin nature journaling. A small kit of just a few essentials is all you need. Keep it handy to take with you to the garden, on a hike or on vacation. A sketch kit, as simple as a sketch book, pencil […]
March, New England Woodpeckers
Through the Garden Gate Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins The National Geographic Society describes a keystone species as, “an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether…This means that if the species were to disappear from the ecosystem, no other […]
February, Hellebores
Through the Garden Gate By Leslie Watkins It’s winter. There’s a blanket of snow on the ground, and everything is frozen. Yet, as if to prove that there is always hope, always beauty, always something wonderful and amazing, hidden under the snow are the blossoms of hellebores. Like a precious, silent secret that we dare […]
November, A Room With a View
Through the Garden Gate Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins In the nature loving-town we live in, enjoying the surrounding natural beauty doesn’t pause in winter. The sparkling landscape exposed by absent foliage affords a better view of the underlying design. Spending more time inside looking out encourages us to improve on the views we […]
October, Not Just for Plants
Text and illustration by Leslie Watkins When we think of gardens we think of plants, shrubs, trees, etc., but that’s just the beginning. What we’re really doing is setting the stage for what’s to come. When the stage is set, the actors enter: insects, birds and animals move in, filling the garden with life, music […]
September, Think Spring
Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins This is the best time of year to get your new gardens started and to improve the gardens you already have. As the days cool down it’s easier to work outside, and there’s plenty to do. Catch the weed seeds now before they get away. Doing a thorough weeding […]
August, Joy & Freedom
Through the Garden Gate By Leslie Watkins “Just living is not enough,” said the butterfly, “one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.” —Hans Christian Andersen Butterflies bring life into our gardens. Select a few plants that they are attracted to and they will come. Like flying jewels, they flit from flower to flower seeking […]
July, Gardner’s Bane
Through the Garden Gate Text and Illustration By Leslie Watkins The meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus, is a relentless, destructive, ubiquitous pest in gardens, both ornamental and vegetable. Often mistaken for moles who can be beneficial eating grubs, worms and other root eaters, the vole is smaller and vegetarian. If you notice one of your plants […]
June, Jewels
Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins June 1 is an important date in the Icebox of Connecticut for two reasons. It means that the danger of frost is past and it’s safe to set out tender plantings. It’s also a time that welcomes the return of one of our most beloved garden visitors, the ruby-throated […]
