Wreaths aren’t just a Christmas thing. At different times in history, their circular form has suggested eternity, or feminine power, as in the floral wreaths atop a maypole, or victory, […]
About Milisa Moses
PLANTCRAFT
Gardening by the Moon
Look to the sky before you dig in the dirt
I’ve been paying attention recently to an old gardening proverb that goes like this: “With the waxing of the Moon, the Earth exhales. With the waning of the Moon, the […]
PLANTCRAFT
A Spa Day for Your Wooden Countertops and Cutting Boards
How to make your own natural butcher block wax
Though wood craftspeople often finish their handmade work with oils made from plants or seeds — linseed or tung — mineral oil is often recommended for ordinary people to use […]
PLANTCRAFT
Plant-Printed Paper for Your Love Note
Longer-lasting than a bouquet, and just as pretty
The 1840s saw the introduction of the mass-produced valentine in the U.S. We can thank Esther A. Howland, known as the “mother of the valentine,” for that. But even with […]
GALLERY
House to House on Bound Brook Island
Exploring the past on a walk in the woods
Following the roads and paths of Wellfleet’s Bound Brook Island, you’ll find hillsides covered with bearberry and stands of winterberry along the now-still tidal brook below. There are houses, too […]
D.I.Y.
A Make-Believe Mantelpiece
This one’s not for knickknacks
“The fact that ‘hearth’ is synonymous with ‘home’ in so many tongues is sufficient argument for a fireplace,” writes Bradford Angier in his 1952 book How to Build Your Home […]
GALLERY
Holiday Planters That Bring the Winter Landscape Home
Foraging etiquette and design tips from a pro
Flower designer Kate Formichella is known for making bouquets and installations that are naturally beautiful. She uses local flowers and plants, mostly from her own flower farm in Orleans. She […]
GALLERY
Home Made for the Holidays
Artisan markets to help you keep your shopping local
While we won’t warm up shoulder-to-shoulder at artisan fairs as we have in holidays past, there are plenty of opportunities to support local shop owners, artists, and the creative community […]
PLANTCRAFT
Create a Palette of Colors From Nature
Time-tested recipes for plant-based inks and paints
As winter draws near, we lose more leaves to the wind each day. The ones that remain give the landscape a patina of russet, sienna, ochre. The ground is covered […]
DESIGN
Set It Like You Mean It
A colorful table says ‘thank you’ to the company you keep
Thanksgiving is a time to tend your table in such a way that it will bring on a smile. Kevin O’Shea, who knows from hosting — he and his partner, […]
PLANTCRAFT
Making Wreaths and Garlands
Bring the color and texture of the fall landscape home
The days are shorter. We move inside and want to bring the landscape with us. We start with dried bouquets, then move to wreaths, garlands, and soon, maybe, the tree. […]
GALLERY
How to Carve a Modern Day Jack-o’-lantern
In the original tales, Halloween’s glowing light came from a turnip
Its light was said to mislead travelers at night, flickering over peat bogs, swamps, and marshes, resembling a lantern shining in the dark. Where scientists now see bioluminescence, storytellers saw […]
MEET THE MAKER
Provincetown’s Beth Donovan Stitches Together Life’s Fabric
A minimalist approach to a maximalist collection of upcycled scraps
If you happened by the Wellfleet Farmers Market this past summer, you might have seen Beth Donovan’s handiwork along your stroll. Her handmade quilts, aprons, masks, and totes consist almost […]
GALLERY
There Is No Wrong Way to Eat an Oyster
But oyster plates help the bivalves hold their liquor
Oyster plates were a Victorian-era idea that became part of the evolution of oysters from inexpensive street food to coveted delicacy, a shift that happened in the early 1900s, when […]
PLANTCRAFT
Goldenrod for a September Salve
Longer nights call forth flowers the color of autumn light
September, the golden month on Cape Cod. Sunrises and sunsets that linger in the mind’s eye with color and light. Solidago sempervirens, seaside goldenrod, is just beginning to open at […]
