The flowers of the irises are mostly passed. Almost all the peonies have bloomed, the petals breaking away and collecting on the ground. The baptisia is still going, in white […]
On the Landscape
BACK TO THE GARDEN
Watering, Deeply
Guiding roots where they need to go to sustain the plant’s life — and your own
Our summers have been marked by significant dry spells for the last few years, and sometimes two or three weeks pass without a drop of rain. When these hot, dry […]
BACK TO THE GARDEN
Designing a Planter That Packs a Punch
How to play with elements of garden design that satisfy on a small scale
One of the things we humans like to do is to bring little chunks of nature into our immediate surroundings. This is what gardens are, and houseplants, too. We enjoy […]
DIRT
Vegan Mud Pies in a Hobbit-Inspired Kitchen Near an Edible Forest
Cape Cod Tech and Nauset High students help revamp a library’s gardens
TRURO — This summer, when the “mud kitchen” behind the Truro Public Library is open for business, Leela Okeanos, who just turned six, plans on making vegan mud pies. The […]
BACKYARD FARM
Early Warnings and Oatmeal Afterwards
Buttercup, Lance, and the ladies weather the Blizzard of ’22
Before weather reports bombarded us with storm tracking, our predecessors would observe their flocks or herds for changes in their behavior, noticing telltale signs that storms were on the way. […]
BACKYARD FARM
How to Keep Your Goats From Going South in the Winter
No need for winter coats, as goats grow their own
We were still new to goat herding when the first icy storm of 2019 blew in. I felt sure our Nigerian Dwarf herd could not survive it outdoors and insisted […]
BACKYARD FARM
Sergeant Major Spruce, the Christmas Goose
What’s good for the gander is good for the whole farm
If our backyard farm were in my home country of Austria, we’d be trussing up a plump goose for our Christmas feast right about now. But here we are in […]
BOGSIDE
Storms, Sanding, and the Slow Restoration of Sassamanesh Farm
Bringing back an old cranberry bog is ‘a different adventure every year’
ORLEANS — The Outer Cape has its wild cranberry patches, hidden in the dunes and alongside ponds. But it takes a road trip to Orleans to find a cultivated bog. […]
GAP YEAR
Majoring in Dirt
Eastham’s Izzy Nobili plans a farm-to-farm path to college
Isabelle Nobili is a 2021 Nauset Regional High School graduate who has ambitious college plans. She’s going to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. What she wants to study there is […]
BACKYARD FARM
So, You Want to Wean a Goat
Lessons in how best to send your kids into the world
When we bred our doe, Buttercup, for the first time, we were novice goat keepers. We rented a buck, Stinky Dan, whose musky aroma was nothing out of the ordinary […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
Walled Gardens Can Put Us at Ease
More than a collection of plants, a garden is a place that speaks to body and mind
On a recent trip to Philadelphia to visit friends, I had an opportunity to sit and think about space. My friends’ house is in a tightly packed neighborhood with narrow […]
BACKYARD FARM
A New Chick in the Flock
After a gradual introduction, a new bird finds her place in the pecking order
If you’re serious about raising chickens, the day will probably come when you want to add more birds to your flock. Most fledgling backyard farmers start out cautiously, with small […]
BACKYARD FARM
How to Milk a Goat, Maybe
Even with massage and sweet nothings, Buttercup won’t be milked
I think goat kids are among the cutest creatures on Earth. But most backyard farmers are more interested in goat mamas — does. That’s what happens when you’re keeping goats […]
ANIMAL RIGHTS
Eastham Adopts New Rules on Noncommercial Farm Animals
‘You want to see animals raised humanely. That’s the whole point.’
EASTHAM — The board of health voted on July 29 to adopt a new set of noncommercial farm animal regulations. The rules require households to apply for permits to keep […]
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE
Beauty and Quirkiness in Full Bloom in Eastham
A garden tour that prides itself on being a little on the wild side
Nearly 400 garden lovers turned out for the Eastham Garden Tour on July 13, which benefits the town’s public library. Visitors roamed six gardens that fit the event’s theme: Creative […]
