Category: My Yard

Colorshift

In photography, “colorshift” refers to the time at twilight when the sky transforms in minutes through what is sometimes called a “kaleidoscope” of color. Last evening, the skies above my house colorshifted in a dramatic changing show of orange, pink and blue.

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Bluebird Stopover

A pair of Eastern Bluebirds brightened up my snowy yard on a gray morning. The specially designed bluebird house installed for them has an opening of exactly 1.5 inches in diameter to ensure that larger birds cannot nest there. Although bluebirds often visit, and occasionally start to build a nest, they never stay through the whole season. After territorial skirmishes sparrows win out. Fingers crossed for this spring!

Holden, MA

Take a Seat…

and enjoy the possibilities within a garden.

Hydrangeas lend a “secret garden feel ” to this conversation area.
Tall phlox provide a shelter for solitary meditation.
This wooden bench folds for winter storage. A just-picked garlic crop dries beside it on an all season table.
Coleus and evergreens stay cool in the shadier area near the road where neighbors walk by or come to visit.

The hand made wooden bench in the zen garden was fashioned from recycled stair steps. It is a perfect place for reflection.
There is room under the apple tree for picnics and conversation. Potted young plants enjoy the shade, as well.
Gardening celebrates life and growth!

Shinshin

“Shinshin” is a Japanese term for the deep silence of a fresh snowfall, or the “sound of no sound” as soft snow absorbs sound. It evokes a sense of calm and stillness, and is a favored time for photographers and nature enthusiasts.

Holden, Massachusetts/ The Morning of January 19, 2026

Laurel is Hardy

The nearly 100 year old Mountain Laurel in my yard is still going strong.

Mountain Laurel is a common hardy evergreen in Central Massachusetts. It can withstand quite cold and snowy winters in the north of the United States.

The evergreen leaves of the Mountain Laurel offer excellent winter protection for birds. They give crucial shelter from wind and cold.
Diverse, abundant and large lichens are excellent natural indicators of clean air. They are effective because they absorb nutrients and pollutants directly from the air. Birds find insects and spiders hiding under tree lichens. These provide them with energy when other sources of food are scarce.
Mountain Laurel berries are not a favorite food of birds. However, they can provide nourishment when food supplies are limited, especially at the end of winter.

Birdbaths underneath the laurel are covered in black tarps. In the spring, they will be filled again. Fresh water will be offered under the laurel, in addition to the food and protection to be found there .

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Currier and Ives Skies

Currier & Ives produced popular lithographs depicting idyllic American winter scenes during the 19th century. These prints featured snow-covered New England towns, with skies of icy-blue or gray enhanced with subtle color shifts. Here are my “updated” Currier and Ives style selections from the most recent snowstorm here in Central Massachusetts.

Holden, Massachusetts

Winter Morning Currier and Ives/ Public Domain
Winter Pastime/ Currier and Ives/ Public Domain

It’s a Color Blast

The Arctic Blast last evening delivered extraordinary, if fleeting, sunset colors that swirled around my rooftop. After the vivid colors faded, temperatures sunk to 6° F., the coldest of the season. Wind chills felt as low as -5°F. My blog’s title “From My Window” can be taken quite literally in this case.

Holden Massachusetts

Cottontail Cottage

Holden, Massachusetts

The rabbits in my yard have been satisfied with clover so far this season. However, I’m still keeping a watchful eye on my:
Rainbow Chard,
Early Peppers,

Bronze Fennel,
Eggplant,
Blue Lake Pole Beans,
Pickling Cukes,

Premier Kale
Sweet 100 Tomatoes,
And Scarlet Runner Beans.

Wish me luck!

“A Chance of Showers and Thunderstorms”

That’s the weather forecast each day here in Central Massachusetts. As a result, this year’s garden is surely taking its time to grow!

This tomato variety is named Fourth of July, and promised tomatoes ready to eat by that date. Although they have a while to go, they are surely farther along than my other varieties.
Evening Primrose
The first Bee Balm to bloom.
Sweet 100 Tomatoes just flowering.
Calendula self-seeded from last year.
Hydrangea
Arugala (Second Planting)
Lady Bell Peppers
Blue Lake Pole and Bush Beans

Butterfly Wings

(Short audio included at the end of the post.)

During my recent blogging break, I have been learning to play the folk harp.

This is a Fireside Harp from Backyard Music, made of cardboard.

The shape of the harp reminds me of the wings of a butterfly that visits my garden.

A rain storm came up just after these photos were taken, but I’ve included a short audio with a rainy backdrop, which can be played along with these photos.

Eleanor Plunkett, by Turlough O’Carolan, arranged by harpist and composer Anne Crosby Gaudet, performed by Julie Mankowsky.

Flowers and Fresh Veg

Visiting woodchucks, rabbits, a racoon and even a bear made gardening more difficult than usual this year. Still, on a sunny July day, it seems worth all the extra effort.

Lillies overlook the beans, squash and hydrangea.
Basil is easy to grow from seed.
Tomatillos are a new veg for me this year. Salsa Verde recipes, anyone?
Hydrangeas sport a deep blue because of my slightly acidic soil.
Lady Belle Sweet Peppers growing on the deck.
Zinnias hiding from rabbits in the pots of Swiss Chard.
The parsley usually lasts right up until snowfall.
Perennial flowers topped off with a hanging basket of marigolds and nasturtium.
Salad Bowl Lettuce doesn’t seem to mind the heat.
Potato flowers emerging from grow bags.
Boston Pickling Cucumbers are a New England favorite.
Tall Phlox and Scarlet Emperor Beans share a trellis.
Basil and marigolds used as companion plants with tomatoes.
Carolina Gold Tomatoes
Eggplant, Cosmos and Zinnias
Hoping my French Haricot Vert Beans are “woodchuck proof”!
Annuals grown from seed.
Green and Yellow Beans With Marigolds
Luckily, I Planted Extra Marigolds!

Winter Meditation

Zen inspired elements enhance my winter garden.

Zen inspired landscaping offers opportunities for meditation and contemplation in my winter garden. Bamboo is one of the loveliest and most recognizable features.
An invitation to sit is provided by a worn stair step. Below it are smooth hand chosen stones from the Atlantic Ocean.
Rocks suggest mountains, stability…
…and sculptures.
The aged laurel bush, worn by time and weather, is a favorite shelter for native and migrating birds.
A weathered bird feeder ornament intrigues our feathered visitors.

Lunch Break

From apples to zinnias: visitors can choose from a wide variety of tasty treats in my garden this week.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit/ Scarlet Emperor Greens
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird/Scarlet Emperor Bean Blossoms
Eastern Chipmunk/Acorns
Downy Woodpecker/Baldwin Apple
Monarch Butterfly/ California Giant Zinnia

Heron Celebration With Bonuses

Statuary from a local yard sale celebrates the recent surprising visit of a Great Blue Heron to our Zen garden.

A few weeks ago, a Great Blue Heron graced our Zen garden for a few moments before flying into the nearby woods. We began hunting for a heron statue to commemorate that event.
Serendipitously, a friend spied a pair of small heron statues at a yard sale shortly after the extraordinary visit.
In pride of place, the first heron now stands patiently in the “reeds” of the white stone river .
The second heron found a home in the zinnia garden.
As another bonus, a pair of wandering ducks was also found at the sale.
They are energetic and curious.
We never know where the ducks will wander. Hurrah for yard sales!

Iridescence

Glistening Ruby-throated hummingbirds will be heading south for the winter soon.

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary iridescence is:

1 : a lustrous rainbowlike play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes
2 : a lustrous or attractive quality or effect
The Ruby-throated hummingbird is found throughout Massachusetts during the warm months. This female paused on the branch of a nearby apple tree recently, providing me with a close-up of her luminous feathers.

Now and Then

Even though it’s been a summer of extreme weather here in Central Massachusetts, most parts of the garden have thrived. Below, recent pictures are paired with those from late May, when the garden was first planted.

The pole beans are luxurious. The squash is holding its own, despite not being in full sun and hosting a mole that samples ground level fruits nightly.
Squash seedlings were barely visible in late May. Beans had yet to sprout.

Hard working Scarlet Emperor beans are on double duty attracting hummingbirds with jewel-like red blossoms and providing a screen from the road beyond. Additionally, the beans are tasty if picked when they are small.
The beans were planted in high planters as protection from hungry rabbits. Fortunately, rabbits have been few and far between during the past weeks.
The “Christmas tree” look of the heirloom Boston Pickling cucumber lends visual interest to the garden with its height and large leaves. A prolific grower, it is sprawling out on the ground in back of the “tree” as well.
Growing cucumbers vertically on bamboo canes makes harvesting produce much easier.
Eggplants that are ready to harvest are surrounded by marigolds for support. The plants cover the blue bucket they are growing in.
Marigold seedlings are barely visible in this picture. They bloomed so prolifically around the eggplant, I had to remove one to give the eggplant more room.
Kale has been continually harvested throughout the summer. Nasturtium and marigolds make good companion plants, as well as surrounding it with spots of edible color.
Lettuce (that had not germinated when this photograph was taken) was planted in between the kale. The kale provided shade for the lettuce during the hot July days.

Apple Art

Apple leaves that fell from my Baldwin apple tree onto a white table inspired me to add garden flowers and windfall apples to create this still life.
Keeping the leaves exactly where they had fallen, I experimented with the addition of a small garden bouquet of freshly picked flowers.
Windfall apples added contrast in keeping with the theme.
A gravel “frame” was a simple addition.
Baldwin apples trees usually bear fruit every other year, but this will be the second year in a row I am looking forward to harvesting Baldwins for applesauce, muffins, pie and other delights.
Central Massachusetts holds a special affinity for apples, as Johnny Appleseed was born in Leominster, Massachusetts.
Close-up photography highlights different aspects of the artwork.
The Baldwin apple is one of New England’s oldest, and was first discovered in Massachusetts.
Apple season is coming soon to Central Massachusetts!

In the Pink

Pink is a-poppin’ in my garden this week.

Tall Phlox
Luminosa Zinnias, Butterfly Bush and Morning Glories
Echinacea or Purple Cone Flower

Butterfly Bush

Candy Pink Morning Glory
Grandpa Ott Morning Glories

How I Miss Them!

A mysterious bird disease is affecting the Southern and Mid-Atlantic states.

Birdbaths in my yard, usually a focal point for visiting birds, have been turned over at the urging of Massachusetts Wildlife officials. Although not yet reported in Massachusetts, a mysterious bird disease has affected many Southern and Mid-Atlantic states. Since late May there have been numerous reports of dying birds with swollen eyes and crusty discharge, as well as neurological problems. In lieu of the bright colors and uplifting energy our feathered friends provide, I offer these digitally altered photos, hoping the birds will be back flitting around my yard soon, and in good health.

Sparky, Marietta, Petite and Crackerjack

It’s marigold time in my garden.

I usually buy six-packs of marigold plants around Memorial Day. But last winter, dreaming of spring, I bought a set of four different types of marigold seeds. It turns out that four packages contain thousands of seeds. Now I have an explosion of color and texture weaving through the yard. And what a bargain! I have seeds left over to plant next year.
Sparky Mix Marigolds have wavy petals of orange, yellow, crimson, gold and bicolor. They are mid-sized, at around fourteen inches tall. These popular companion plants attract pollinators; they are “on duty” as a border around the squash garden.
As their name suggests, Dainty Marietta Marigolds are quite small, and known for the bright yellow petals with maroon centers. They have been the most difficult marigolds for me to nurture, but their delicate flowers are delightful.
Petite Mix Marigolds are only 8 to 10 inches in height, but they bloom in all colors. They are in containers around the yard, and used as annual borders. They are so abundant, that even if the rabbits find them, there is enough to share.
At three to four feet tall, the Crackerjack Marigolds are eye-catching, with large ruffles of yellow and orange blooms. They lend a festive feeling to the yard.

Hide and Seek

An Eastern Cottontail rabbit has arrived in my garden.

Knowing rabbits appear each summer, I protect my garden plants as much as possible. Still, many plants are within reach of curious furry friends.
Little feet and ears are hiding just behind the cucumber and basil plants. Tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, eggplants, beans, peppers, marigolds, calendulas and more are nearby–a veritable feast for a half-grown bunny.
It ventures out from its undercover safety, and surveys one side of the garden….
And then the other.
What will it choose?
Sweet, green clover left in the lawn just for rabbits.
Good choice, little bunny!

Books and Bee Balm

I grew up in a rural town in Western Massachusetts, where a large patch of bee balm featured prominently in our garden each summer. One day an elderly couple, complete strangers, stopped their car to ask my father what the fiery red blooms in the garden were.

“It’s bee balm, a perennial. Would you like some?”

He dug up a clump for the pair to take to their summer home at the edge of town.

A few days later, the couple reappeared with a box of children’s books. They were retired teachers, who had noticed my siblings and me playing in the yard.

“We have collected so many books over the years, and since we are retired, we don’t need them. Would your children like some?” they asked my father.

That summer, and for many summers thereafter, the couple brought boxes of books of a variety of genres. Some were almost new; some were gently worn. Each box was a thoughtful gift.

The sight of bee balm might bring thoughts of insects, bright flower petals in a salad, or perhaps herbal tea to most people.

But me? I simply think of books.

Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are especially attracted to bee balm, which is a member of the mint family. Monarda, bergamot, horsemint, and oswego tea are other names for this plant. It has many uses, being found in everything form skin salves to digestive teas to salad toppers.
Bee balm getting ready to bloom.
The blooming time for bee balm is July through late summer. Cutting back the blooms as they finish flowering will encourage regrowth and extend the blooming period.
A Silver Spotted Skipper butterfly visits.
Although bee balm likes sun, it tolerates partial shade, as shown here growing in a mix of ferns and Queen Anne’s Lace.
Vigorous bursts of bee balm contrast with the calm of the apple tree in my yard. Time to sit in the shade and enjoy a book!
The  Little Pear books by Eleanor Frances Lattimore were favorites from the book boxes. These books related the adventures of a young boy living in a small village in China long ago. First published in 1931, they continued to be published until 2006. (The book pictured above is the edition I remembered as a child.) They are considered popular vintage books today.

Yellow Celebration

A coat of paint on one small structure can sometimes uplift a whole yard.

A coat of paint on one small structure can often uplift a a whole yard.
A fresh coat of yellow paint on the backyard hut led me to consider the many shades of yellow vegetation to be found throughout the yard.
A coat of paint on one single structure can sometimes change a whole area.
The yellow stair rail extends the color theme. Queen Anne’s lace, orange daylilies, and red bee balm pop out against the bright backdrop with white accents.
Queen Anne’s lace seems to float on a yellow wall.
A lemon yellow daylily remains vibrant after yet another shower.
Erin Lea lilies show ruffled yellow petals tinged with brown.
Stella d’Oro daylilies, white yarrow and rose campion contrast with the cobalt blue birdbath.
Amber and gold-toned calendulas are companion plants throughout the vegetable gardens.
The blue chair lends a “primary colors” touch to this area.
Erin Lea daylily.
Purple D’Oro lily with a buttery yellow center.
Bumblebee yellow on a calendula!
Pineapple yellow non-stop begonia with blue hydrangea in the background.
One final touch: a mint green ladder hung on the back wall lightens up the shady side of the hut, and provides a year round color contrast.