Tag Archives: gardening

Marching Along

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Spring officially starts in one week. However, spring chores are well underway in my garden. My notes from past years indicate we’re ahead of schedule but given the strange weather the whole globe is experiencing, what is ‘normal’ must be redefined. So, I’m just going ahead with the tasks as the current conditions dictate.

Typically, the garden in February and most of March is thickly covered in snow and the ground beneath is frozen solid. Not this year.

The snowdrops started blooming about three weeks early but their bloom time seems to have been extended as the temperatures have remained constant. That’s a nice thing of course. Accordingly, the snowdrops have been divided. I prefer to divide them while they’re still blooming. It gives me a better visual of where and how I’d like to see them spread. In the meadow, I envision these happy harbingers of spring tumbling joyfully down the slope. So, the new divisions have been planted randomly to look free-form but they follow the natural incline along the length of the land.

The hellebores also have an early start and are beginning to look very pretty. The old leaves which are left in place to protect the new growth were cut away last week.

That cut back indicated that general spring clean up was possible. Over the past weekend, plants were cut back, winter detritus picked up, dead limbs of various shrubs removed,The birdhouses were cleaned out thorough;y and within 8 hours, one was occupied by a pair of sparrows!

The fruit espaliers and Concord grapevine were pruned even earlier. Dormant oil spray to smother eggs of pests has also been applied. It’s important to get this done before any new growth appears.

This week, cutting back our side of a neighbor’s hedge, pruning the hydrangea and attending to the tiny wild ‘lawn’ in front are on the agenda. The lawn gets a good raking to remove thatch, then it is aerated, followed by a light reseeding and a healthy feed of compost. I also plan to inspect the name tags on the espalier trees to identify what needs to be rewritten or replaced. Note: As I write this post, it’s been snowing for some hours! Whether the snow sticks around or not will determine if the chores get done!

I have a list of plants I’d like to add to the garden so those need to sourced and ordered. I’m hoping my local nursery can provide.

Gardening season has certainly begun. It’s my mind that needs to come to terms with it.

Snowdrops

The natural slope in the meadow

Divisions ready for new homes

Snowdrops tumbling done

Birdhouse was cleaned out and within 8 hours, a sparrow couple had moved in!

Hellebores are happening

Black hellebore

Pruned Belgian fence espalier

All tidied up

Hyacinths forced indoors are planted in the garden after flowering

(c) Shobha Vanchiswar 2023

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Good Gourd!

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Apologies! I’m a week late in posting this article that’s a follow up to my last article – got struck down with an unknown bug that put me out of action all of last week.

Allow me to introduce you to a jewel of a garden in Brooklyn, New York. Both Mei and Ying grew up in the rural southern province of Guangdong in China where their families cultivated the land for rice and vegetables for the market. Food to feed the family was also grown. Life was not easy and there were many to feed. They were put to work as soon as they were old enough.

Coming to the USA as a young couple, they knew all about hard work and as soon as they got a home with a backyard, they set about creating a vegetable garden to feed themselves and their two daughters. Vegetables innate to their culture and cuisine.

With no thought to doing anything extraordinary, applying methods they grew up with, Mei and Ying have created a stunning little garden. It burgeons with all manner of gourds and squashes, scallions, garlic and other vegetables. The main planting area is a raised bed about 16 feet in length, 8 feet in width and 30 inches in height. Gourds and squashes clamber and twine upwards on vertical supports to form a lovely verdant canopy over the whole space which I’m guessing is about 25ft x 18ft. The fruit hang fabulously pendulous. Standing beneath felt almost sacred.

Seeds are saved and/or exchanged with other Chinese families in the neighborhood. Occasionally, seedlings are purchased in Brooklyn Chinatown. Gourds seeds are started indoors and transplanted when consistent warmer temperatures prevail. Usually mid-April into May. Scallions and garlic are planted earlier as they can take cooler temperatures. Garlic cloves are planted directly in pots.

As we all know, old lessons learned from the old country are currently trending but Mei and Ying are only doing what they’ve always done – using compost, collecting rain water, applying organic products like Neem for pest control. Slugs are aplenty so they often wait for dusk and then, using a flashlight, they pick off the offenders. Birds that like to nibble on the young plants are thwarted by their pet cats. You see, ‘old-fashioned’!

I was struck by the similarity in the traditional practices in India and all across the globe. We are all more alike than we can imagine. Certainly, meeting Mei and Ying felt natural. Our backgrounds are worlds apart and yet, our values are the same. We’re also similar in age and share a passion in gardening. Gardens bring people together!

P.S. A big thank you to Mei and Ying’s daughter Jessica for making this wonderful visit happen!

Note:The images you see below were taken in the fall at the tail end of the growing season. It was already cold but their garden still looked impressive. With any luck, I’ll get to see the garden again this summer. Fingers crossed!

Ying and Mei

Rain barrels

(c) 2023 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Please Call Me Old-Fashioned

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Thirty years ago, we, a young couple bought this property. Not having family to guide us in this milestone event, we were naive and pretty much flying blind. Well meaning friends had lots of advice most of which we found puzzling or confusing. Some referred to it as a ‘good starter house’. Starter house? An old house on a quarter acre within walking distance to the center of town, the library, post-office and train station seemed quite right for us. For us, it looked perfect. A well-built house with three bedrooms felt spacious and the space outside was just the ideal size for us to do all the work by ourselves. We really couldn’t ask for more. And we still don’t.

While the house was sound but needed some updating, the property had been vacant for more than a year. There was no garden to speak of – it was a mess. Weeds had quite literally become trees and the adjoining woods in the rear had started moving. After much clearing and tidying through the first year, what we had was a blank canvas. Realizing my dream of a garden could commence. My own garden. My first garden. A real garden – the handful of plants in pots that I’d nurtured in college did not count. The fact that until now I’d only lived in apartments in big cities did not daunt me. Having spent my childhood in India meant I was going to have to learn all about a whole new range of plants. That did not bother me either – after all, if nothing else, graduate school teaches one to research any topic very well. This was before Internet and search engines – the ‘old-fashioned’ way. I had always dreamed of creating a garden of my own and I was ready.

I applied common sense, techniques I’d observed in India, design ideas learned from visiting countless gardens across three continents, and the knowledge I’d acquired as a scientist. Simultaneously, I read up on American plants and gardening in the north-east. While the plants were new to me, how I went about creating my garden was pretty much based on the aforesaid facts. I knew that composting, collecting rain water and applying strictly organic methods were non-negotiable practices for my garden. All of which made several people call me quaint and downright old-fashioned. These were the heydays of Round Up, copious applications of chemical fertilizers and endless use of water. I was not offended by the adjectives. It actually amused me that time tested, sound ecological methods were being mocked.

Very early on, my husband and I were busy one weekend creating two beds for perennials in the front garden. We were placing bricks to delineate/edge the beds. At different times, passersby would stop to watch and make conversation and it was interesting how often we were told that they had very recently seen Martha Stewart demonstrate this same style of brick edging and how trendy it was. Hearing this made us laugh after the well-meaning person had moved on. We were actually emulating a very common and old style of edging done in India and in many other counties. There was absolutely nothing new about it. To be fair, when I later checked it out, Martha herself was not taking personal credit for it either.

After seeing the enormous waste of time, effort and resources like water, I determined that it was futile to try maintaining a lush grass lawn in the lower back garden. And that’s how the concept of a ‘meadow’ of bulbs and native plants was born. Similarly, the handkerchief sized lawn in front was happily permitted to include clover and such – all I wanted was a restful, green canvas to contrast with the exuberant flower beds. Pristine lawn was decidedly unwelcome. It simply felt healthier and correct this way.

Judicious application of organic pest control has been a mainstay – Neem, dormant oil, and baking soda are used only as needed. Compost acts as both fertilizer and mulch almost everywhere. In flower beds, layers of cardboard and/or layers of newspaper are first put down over the soil and around the plants and then topped with cedar bark chips to mulch and at the same time look attractive. As paper and chips degrade, they enrich the soil. Mulching works marvelously to suppress weeds and hold in moisture.

The very small bits of ‘lawn’ are mowed with a manual reel mower with the blade set at 4 inches. Clippings are left to revert back to the earth. Similarly, we’ve never used gas powered leaf blowers. An electric blower is used after good old-fashioned raking has done most of the job.

“Old-fashioned” methods they are all. I proudly garden on the shoulders of past generations of gardeners who knew better and did what was good for the earth and all her inhabitants. As I’ve mentioned many times, gardeners are stewards of the land. That is a responsibility I take very seriously. Call me old-fashioned. Please.

Note: Next week, I will share an urban garden that is also ‘old fashioned’ but blows my mind! Stay tuned.

Here are some ‘before’ and ‘at present’ images of my garden. It’s come a long and I’ve enjoyed the journey. The garden is still evolving as a garden must. I wish I had more of the ‘before’ photos but, in those days, the i-phone was but an idea.

Before –

Now –

The tiny ‘lawn’ in front. It’s actually full of insect friendly tiny plants.

Note the rain barrel

The path through the meadow is all the mowing that happens in the back.

Meadow in May

(c) 2023 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Call To Action

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Snowdrops are up in the meadow. It is undoubtedly a joyous sight but, this year, it comes with a sense of unease. It is way too early to see them in my garden. About month early at best. What’s next?

With a mostly mild winter and no snow at all thus far, it looks ominous. I’d like to think there’s still time for winter to pick up its pace and sock us with polar vortices, blizzards and tundra like conditions but I’m also nervous that such extreme weather this late in the season could put paid to many plants and creatures already awakened.

This past weekend, the grapevine got pruned – a task that typically gets done further along in winter. With day time temperatures spiking consistently to the low-50’s, it seemed prudent to get the job done before any new growth could be detected. It’s quite disconcerting and I feel like I’m flying blind in figuring out the best way to address this abnormal weather pattern.

I’m not one to panic easily but in all honestly, I’m seriously worried. We are at an inflection point in the climate crisis. That change is happening is obvious but how much and what kind of change are the big questions. And what can we do about it? For now, there are no easy answers. However, it sure is time for each gardener and/or property owner to step up their roles as stewards of the land. Whatever we’re doing for the cause, lets do better. Much better.

It’s true, every single person is required to take action to mitigate climate change but I genuinely believe that gardeners are the first responders in this crisis. While governments, corporations and industry make new policies and implement and enforce better regulations, we gardeners ( farmers too) already have our boots on the ground. We see the what is going on in real time. Our actions matter.

So, I’m putting a call out for us all to review our current practices and resolve to do much more.

To get you started, here are a few things to consider –

1. Water. Reduce consumption, Redirect soap-free gray water, collect rain water, reuse cooking water (from boiling things like eggs, pasta, veggies) to water the garden. Choose less thirsty plants from now on. Remove the greediest ones.

2. Go entirely organic. Start composting and use the compost instead of chemical fertilizers and non-degradable mulch.

3. Go mostly native – the plants are less fussy, are hardy and resilient. Non-native selection should be non-invasive and ecologically supportive. 70% native plants to 30% non-native is a decent balance. But, make the extra effort to up the natives. Go on. You can do it.

4. Reduce lawn space. What lawn is there, set the mower at a height of at least 4 inches. Leave clippings to decay and enrich the soil.

5. Plant native trees. Choose an American oak if location and space permit. Amelanchier (shad blow) are great four season trees for small gardens.

6. Reduce plastic usage. Purchase bare-root plants or those in easily biodegradable pots. Urge your nurseries to stock up accordingly. I wish growers would take back plastic pots to reuse.

7. On the subject of nurseries – go local. Avoid big box stores. Support small, family owned businesses. Remember, regional farms grow plants best suited for your climate. Keep the carbon footprint down and raise the local economy. Everybody and the climate wins.

This is a broad list for all gardeners. There is plenty more depending on ones own location and circumstance. Lets get to it. There is absolutely no time to waste.

Meanwhile, I’m going to accept the weather such as it is. I intend to make the most of it by spending more time outdoors, basking in the sunshine, listening to birdsong and observe the unfolding of the season. While I cannot ignore the pit in my stomach, I must be intentional in how I choose to spend my days and be fully present for them. The snowdrops are here, one must indeed enjoy them.

Compare and Contrast –
Top – February 2022
Bottom – February 2023

Grapevine all pruned and tidy

Snowdrops

Crocus pushing through

Columbine

Climbing hydrangea in bud

Hellebore

Emerging herbaceous peony

(c) 2023 Shobha Vanchiswar

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February Dreams

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Did January just breeze by? It’s hard to believe we are already a month into what still feels like the new year. I can sense the collective restlessness of gardeners in the northeast. We’re chomping at the bit for spring preparations. But, the shortest month can feel like the longest. It’s usually when winter decides to do her worst. This year however, we might actually welcome a decent dose of snow and sleet. Thus far, we have had almost no snow to speak of. Even the temperature hasn’t dipped sufficiently or long enough into its typical range. Makes one deeply uneasy. Who knows what this will mean for the seasons ahead. Its anyone’s guess really.

But we gardeners are eternal optimists. We plan for the best. Familiar as we are to the vagaries of Mother Nature and horticultural setbacks, we persist in dreaming and striving for the most positive outcomes. There is simply no other way. And so, we spend February conjuring up the most perfect garden yet. As yet too early to start any real work but for some late winter pruning, this is the time to solidify all those random ideas and visions. Gather up information, draw up plans, create a master to-do list, place orders for seeds and plants, get all tools and materials ready, schedule any hardscaping work – it’s all about getting ready.

I personally appreciate that February makes it impossible to actually do anything but plan and prepare. Otherwise, we’d plunge into action willy-nilly and let the garden get out of hand. I speak from experience. My early days in the garden were fraught with misguided eagerness and expenses. Impulsive actions resulting in expensive mistakes. It’s not just about money spent but also the time and effort wasted.

Taking this month to organize will make the work ahead that much more enjoyable and productive. It has taught me to be a smarter gardener.

The hyacinths have been removed from the refrigerator and placed in their pretty glass forcers. It keeps the momentum of spring dreams going.

Things To Do In February

(Much of the items in the January list are applicable here. Do check that list as well) 

  1. Stay on top of effects of snow and storms. Take quick action.

  2. Keep bird feeders full. Whenever possible provide water.

  3. Get garden plans and designs ready.

  4. Check garden supplies. Does the hose need repair or replacing? Is there enough soil, organic fertilizer, twine, stakes etc.,? Make a list and do what is needed.

  5. Towards the end of the month, prune roses, wisteria, grape vines and fruit trees.

  6. Cut back ivy on walls and fences before birds start nesting. Brightly colored stems of Salix and Cornus should be cut back to about 6 to 10 inches from ground. This will encourage brighter color next spring.

  7. Prepare for seed sowing. Get seed flats clean and ready. Check if there’s enough seed growing medium.

  8. Order seeds. Once seeds arrive, write labels and clip to each pocket. This saves time later when there is so much else to do.

  9. If there is not much snow, cut back old leaves on Hellebores. New growth and flowers will be emerging. Cut back other perennials that were skipped in autumn.

  10. Attend to indoor plants.

  11. The New York Botanical Garden’s annual orchid show opens in March. Do reserve your tickets and go! It’ll banish winter blues and get you inspired.

  12. Renew ( or join) your membership to the Garden Conservancy. Place your order for the Open Days directory. Once you receive it you can start scheduling visits to beautiful gardens near and far. Inspiration is only a garden visit away!

Note: The art exhibit at the The View is still on. Do take a look if possible!

Some images of spring to get you dreaming –

(c) 2023 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Keeping Calm And Carrying On

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January is a great time to catch up on that pile of books and magazines that go neglected when one is busy in the garden. I invariably have a clutch of garden magazines to peruse and because their corresponding month(s) have already passed, I generally take note of plants and advice to implement for next year. A sort of rough list of long term to-do items to consider when I finally make my grand plans and preparations for the gardening seasons to come. This is a pastime I really look forward to – it’s an activity filled with possibilities and dreams. So, there I am eager to take my time to reflect and regroup as mentioned last week when I’m rudely sent into panic mode – I’m way behind on schedule! My garden is simply not ready!

I’d observed that this January, my pile of magazines was kind of small as all of last year, I’d been fairly good about reading the periodicals soon after they arrived in the mail. Settling down to enjoy this modest stack, I quickly found myself drooling over images of swathes of snowdrops blanketing countryside gardens, bouquets worth of hellebores blooming in gardens small and large, pansies bravely showing their faces above snow laced earth and other plants stretching awake. All happening in real time. Looking around my own plot, I gazed upon a garden in hibernation. Like the night before Christmas, nothing was stirring. How could this be?!

I had yet to prune the grapevine and roses. For goodness sake, the holiday decorations had only been recently removed. How then could there possibly be signs of spring awakening? Scrolling quickly through Instagram, I came upon post after post depicting the same early spring flowers perking up gardens. Some even had daffodils ready to unfurl bright yellow petals. I could feel the growing pit in my stomach. And then, it hit me – I’d become so absorbed in my reading and salivating, that it’d completely escaped my mind that I was following/reading what was happening in England. Whew! What a big relief.

With milder winters than ours in the northeast, the UK enjoys winter blooms that we typically associate with early spring. However, even for them this is a bit earlier than usual to see daffodils readying to bloom. They too have had an odd winter thus far. From too cold to crazy rain the weather has been capricious. It has me wondering how our own strange winter to date will impact the seasons ahead. Will spring be early? I hope not! Anticipating it is a giddy thrill I do not want abbreviated. Besides, past experience has shown an early start generally means a short spring with summer arriving all too soon dragging with it deplorable heat and humidity. I hate that. I could live with spring forever.

But, this is conjecture. I cannot worry about what I cannot control. Time will reveal what is to be. For now, I’m just going to revel in the doings in England and dream about my spring garden to come. I’ll keep calm and carry on. Stiff upper lip and all that.

Note: Since we’re in dream mode, I’m sharing images of some of my watercolors instead of garden photos –

(c) 2023 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Resting Point

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With the holiday hoopla well behind, this moment feels like a resting point. The well-deserved pause before life picks up pace. Taking my cue from the garden, it’s a recess I’ve learned to carve out judiciously.

Looking around, the garden is quietly at repose. Nothing actively going on. Below ground, the plants are building strength, restoring, resting and preparing for the growing season ahead. Ii is not a period of complete cessation of activity but instead, it’s a time to slow down, regroup and ready oneself. I too want to take time to restore my energy, reflect on what and how I want to proceed with my goals and projects. It’s not a vacation but a retreat.

The expression ‘putting the garden to bed’ is accurate. The basic life processes carry on but nothing more is expected or conducted. It’s a graceful reminder to do similarly for myself. Instead of plunging into the to-do list, I’m reassessing that list. What really needs doing? Are they taking me where I want to go? Time taken to reflect and rethink is necessary to become a better gardener/artist/writer/friend/spouse/parent/activist/human being. Like the garden, my growth never ceases. The benefits of resilience, flexibility, patience, adaptability and cooperation are exemplified by Nature. And then, at the right moment, the courage to go all out and bloom as loudly as possible! That’s what I aspire to.

Being busy is not bad. Being mindlessly occupied is. So, if you see me sitting around and not rushing around with a jam-packed schedule, I’m not being lazy! I’m purging projects and objects that do not serve my goals. I’m thinking and planning, researching and evaluating, learning and preparing, simplifying and streamlining. I’m focusing on what truly matters.

Because, just like my garden, I’m a work in progress.

The garden right now –

Chickadee at the birdbath

Second round of amaryllis coming up indoors

(c) 2023 Shobha Vanchiswar

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A Fresh Start

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Happy New Year!

It’s been an unseasonably mild start here. Feels more like Spring than Winter. Parts of Europe are experiencing the same balmy weather. Who knows what this portends in the big climate scenario. It is cause to feel concerned but the reality is that unless and until every one of use and all the governments in the world commit wholly to do everything in our power to do right by the earth, matters will not improve. On my part, I will continue to do my best to work in harmony with nature. Meanwhile, I shall make the most of the very pleasant weather – enjoy long walks, meals out on the terrace, linger in the garden and watch the birds, soak up sunshine and take pleasure in being jacket, hat and gloves free. I anticipate ( fervently hope) the temperatures will drop to normal levels soon enough. My garden depends on that!

It behooves us all to pay mind to these shifts in weather patterns. Our future well being depends on it.

There are to-do items to address nevertheless. And I’m getting on them.

Things To Do In January

Survey the garden after every storm or snowfall. If any damage such as broken branches or torn off protection has occurred, try to fix it as soon as possible. Likewise, large icicles hanging from roof edges pose a threat to plants below: shield the plants if the icicles cannot be removed.

  1. Take down holiday decorations. Before disposing off the Christmas tree, cut branches to spread as mulch on flower beds. I add the chopped up tree to the compost heap. Some towns pick up trees left out and chip them up to use as mulch.

  2. Keep bird feeders full. Whenever possible, keep water available for the birds.

  3. Inspect stored tubers, corms and bulbs for signs of mold and rot. Get rid of any that don’t look healthy.

  4. This is a good time to examine the ‘bones’ of the garden. Make notes of what needs developing, changing or improving.

  5. Make icy paths safe by sprinkling sand or grit. Avoid toxic de-icing products.

  6. If ground is wet/soggy, take care to protect the sodden areas by not walking on it too much. Better yet, protect it by putting down a temporary path of wood planks.

  7. Take an inventory of garden tools. Get them repaired, replaced or sharpened.

  8. Gather up seed and plant catalogs. Start planning for the coming season.

  9. Begin forcing the bulbs kept cool since late fall. Time to start an indoor spring!

  10. Keep an eye on indoor plants ( in the house or greenhouse). Inspect carefully for signs of pests or disease. Act right away if either is detected. Organic practices only please.

  11. Still on indoor plants: water as needed, rotate for uniform light exposure, fertilize every two to four weeks. Remove dead or yellowing leaves.

  12. Enjoy the respite offered by this cold month.

Together, lets make this a meaningful, mindful year.

Note: Some memories from 2022 –

(c) 2023 Shobha Vanchiswar

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Let There Be Light. And Kindness.

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It’s the Winter Solstice today. The shortest day and longest night. As one who is quite affected by the dark days of winter, I think a lot about light – seeking it, creating it and how to cope with the lack of it. As every gardener knows, sunlight determines much of how we design our gardens. What plants we choose, where we place our selections, our own seating locations to best enjoy both plants and sunlight. A great garden strikes a definitive balance of light and shade.

For me personally, with the shrinking of the hours of light comes the demons both real and imagined. So I’ve developed coping skills that help manage them. In the spectrum of how much one is impacted seasonally, I realize I’m lucky enough to just be moderately affected where it can still be managed without medication. I get outside daily to soak up as much light as possible and try to complete all relevant tasks (indoors and out) well before it starts getting dark. Accomplishing the chores is certainly a mood lifter. The dark hours are filled with lights of all sorts burning bright. Candles, electric bulbs, fireplaces work in unison to dispel the darkness. Music, flowers, humor and light reads too, Good company breaking bread together is an elixir for the spirit. I’m immensely grateful for it all. Admittedly, it takes conscious and consistent effort. But it’s the only way forward.

My heart goes out to everyone whose struggle is so much harder. The pain is real and much of the time it is invisible. It helps to remind ourselves to be particularly kind and caring to each other at this time of year.

The fact that following this solstice, each day brings an additional minute of light is psychologically comforting. One can quite literally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hallelujah.

Dark And Light

The light of day

sparkles honest

Cobwebs shimmer

rewards promised

Hope soars

confidence shines

Courage accompanies

mountains to climb

Sunrises occasion

plans anew

Clarity surfaces

Beliefs ring true

Nightfall arrives

slow and sure

Shadows lurk

luring fear

Darkness imposes

time to remember

Review, regret

call to surrender

Sunsets precede

hidden dreads

Anxiety reigns

awake in bed

Reality lies

in plain sight

there’s nothing in the dark

that’s not there in the light.

– Shobha Vanchiswar

It’s no coincidence that all the celebrations this month involve lighting up our spaces- not to mention the Christmas tree/Hanukkah bush! So, go forth and celebrate – create light, spread the light, share the light, be the light.

(c) 2022 Shobha Vanchiswar

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The Gift Of A Garden

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The garden has been put to bed a while now. However, there are the odds and ends that keep me connected to it. For one thing, there’s the greenhouse which requires vigilance at all times. Is the heater running properly or has the propane tank run out? Depending on how cold it is, the heater can work hard and deplete the fuel quicker than usual. There is an electric heater that kicks in should that happen but we try not to let that go on for too long as that can get costly. And this year, we are all particularly aware of the cost of energy aren’t we. To that end, my odd job man aka my spouse, has built a heat exchanger to help lower heat loss. We will know its efficacy in due course but every bit helps.

The greenhouse also requires regular watering. This is actually one of those simple pleasures. It’s a fine way to commune with the plants – it really is a joy to be there when it is frigid and bare outside. At present, the lemons are ready for picking, some geraniums are flowering and so are the hibiscus standards. There’s always reason to enjoy the greenhouse and I’m truly grateful for it. As much as I enjoy the bulbs in bloom in the house, a visit to the greenhouse feels specially restorative.

The snowfall we received over the weekend was quite lovely. Highlighting the patterns and tracing the shapes, it gave me the delight of viewing the garden is a wholly different way. More artsy and less horticultural. Opportunities like this are valuable as it opens up new perspectives and possibilities.

Decorating for the holiday season with natural greens and foraged material takes on a particular purpose – an homage to Nature herself. All the forms of beauty that grace us through the seasons bring so much happiness. Every part of a plant – branches, leaves, seedpods, fruit and flowers are so utterly amazing. How fortunate am I to have this garden to serve my needs!

I see how the garden, in one form or other, keeps me company at all times. Soon, I’ll be making lemon marmalade to enjoy breakfasts of hot toast slathered with butter and accompanied with strong coffee by the fireside. A choice of pesto from homegrown basil, nasturtium or arugula for pasta dinners. Other herbs harvested and dried will flavor innumerable meals and, there is always fresh bay and rosemary on hand in the greenhouse. Bottles that grew pears within and now filled with brandy sit pretty and ready to offer up a smooth after-dinner drink.

Dried hydrangea and alliums are already decorating the house. As are the paperwhites and amaryllis. Soon, the various plants, lemons and such will be included in still-life set ups to be immortalized in my paintings.

Yes, there is always some element of the garden elevating my life. This is the gift that keeps on giving.

Note: I have 2 paintings at the Winter Exhibition “Flowers, Trees and Roots” at the View Center For Arts And Culture in Old Forge. New York. If you’re in the area, do stop by.

In the greenhouse

Lemon tree, very pretty

(c) 2022 Shobha Vanchiswar

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