New England: Quick and Cheap

Gardening: A Metaphor for Life

Gardening can be considered a metaphor for life. Some gardeners like their gardens –and their lives – simple and predictable. They plant things that they know will succeed and look good: daffodils, daylilies, marigolds, purple cone flowers and such. I grow all those things, but I like to take some risks, too. After all, I could be run over by a bus before the end of the growing season (though my mother did a good job of teaching me to look both ways before crossing). And I want to have the joys of growing special plants that are not necessarily hardy here.

I’m a plant collector and get great joy in growing plants that are outside their climatic zone (or that require special conditions) and seeing them do well. Taking a risk in the garden is different than racing motorcycles or skiing down the north face of Mt. Washington. Yes, I did once spend $75 on a yellow ladyslipper that did not make it through the winter because a dog dug it up, exposing the roots. But that was not personally perilous. I recommend taking some risks in the garden.

My most recent ”risk” was planting a shrub variously called, spicebush, Carolina allspice or sweet bubby. Those names are from my bible of woody plants, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael Dirr. Sweet bubby – that’s worth planting just for the name! Its Latin name is Calycanthus floridus. Just as plants with botanical names including canadensis indicate northern origins, plants with floridus indicate southern plants. So it may not do well here.

I am a sucker for plants in bloom. I was recently at EC Brown’s nursery in Thetford Hill, VT (www.ecbrownsnursery.com) and saw that new-to-me shrub, spicebush or sweet bubby, in bloom, and had to take one home. The blossoms are a deep dark red, globe-shaped and about 2 inches in diameter. According to Dirr’s book, it is considered hardy to Zone 4, but “-15 or -20 is the breakpoint … flowers occur on short shoots from leaf axils along the entire stem length, i.e. where buds are present; even if shoot tips are winter killed, the potential for good flowering is excellent.” So I am optimistic that it will survive and thrive for me.

After my sister, Ruth Anne Mitchell, died unexpectedly two years ago I planted some plants of dubious hardiness here in her honor. Ruth Anne was a risk taker – she was an intrepid international traveler who thought nothing of hiking a hundred mile through a war zone such as Liberia during the civil war there. While working for an international aid agency she was once captured by teenage rebels carrying automatic weapons and who were high on drugs. They thought she would be scared. Not so. She lectured them, and asked if they would treat their mothers like that. Chagrinned, they brought her to their adult leader who reprimanded them and then let her continue on her way.

Among the plants that I planted in memory of Ruth Anne that did not survive were bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), trailing arbutus (Epigea repens) and that yellow ladyslipper. I also planted 3 blue Himalayan poppies (Meconopsis betonicifolia ), and 2 died that first winter. The third bloomed but died the following winter. Undaunted, I bought 3 more from Cady’s Falls Nursery (www.cadysfallsnursery.com) in Morrisville, VT this year. That one successful poppy, with true sky-blue blossoms, gave me great joy, taught me where to plant it – and gave me the willingness to try again.

Of all the flowers I planted for Ruth Anne, the most successful was the umbrella plant (Darmera peltata). My bible of perennials, Steven Stills’ Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants, lists it as only hardy in Zones 5-7 (minus 20 to zero in the coldest parts of winter). The first year after planting it limped along, but this spring it sent up numerous flower spikes with lovely pink flowers before the leaves appeared. And now those umbrella leaves are a foot across and the clump covers a 4-foot circle.

The key to out-of-zone success is getting the soil and sun requirements right for the plant. Acidity, drainage and exposure to cold winds really do make a difference. Even though the books by Dirr and Stills cost well over $100 for the pair, I think they are worth the investment: they tell you not only cold hardiness, they tell you what kind of soil is needed. I know the world wide web is supposed to have all answers, but I like an authoritative book that I can depend on.

Most nurseries have Dirr’s book on hand, and will let you read it before deciding if you should invest in a woody plant. Dirr’s book is very personal, with his strong feelings expressed, and anecdotes about where he has seen a particular plant growing. I use Stills’ book to tailor the soil for perennials at planting time: he details the fertility needed, so I know if I should add plenty of organic fertilizer, just a little, or none at all.

Take a good look at your own garden. Are you willing to try some new plants? I spent hours this past weekend pulling out the roots of Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra) so that I could plant my new spicebush or ‘sweet bubby’. And if it doesn’t survive? Well, I’ll have a good place to try another interesting plant!

Henry Homeyer lives and gardens in Cornish Flat, NH. You may reach him at henry.homeyer@comcast.net or P.O. box 364, Cornish Flat, NH 03746.

Bolt to NYC

Quick tip: The Bolt bus between Boston and New York is pretty cheap at about $20 RT. They also have $1. promotional fares with restrictions. It’s becomes a pleasure to take the bus, with free WIFI, if you need to overnight to NYC. You might also try WorldWide from Cambridge or Newton, MA. Although twice the price at Bolt, the fleet is nearly brand new. Of course, the standard is Fung Wah Transportation which has been been providing low cost fares between Boston and New York for nearly 10 years. So, jump on a bus and catch Earnest on Broadway; our dear friends Sandra and Paul are in the company.

Arrows Restaurant

According to the Daily Green.com, “Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier are stalwart forerunners of the sustainable movement”.  In 1992, long before “green” was a hot topic, the Arrows garden was founded.  Today it provides up to 90% of Arrows Restaurant produce needs.  Its three full time gardeners, under the direction of Master Gardener Rae Avery, tend this highly cultivated organic farm in Ogunquit, Maine. Arrows is the flagship restaurant of award winning chefs Mark and Clark and has been chosen as “One of America’s 10 Most Romantic Restaurants” by Bon Appetit.

Awarded “Best Chef’s in the Northeast” in 2010 by the James Beard Foundation, Mark and Clark have also created restaurants, MC Perkins Cove and Summer Winter, where they continue their tradition of innovation and excellence.  Arrows is a true country restaurant in the tradition of the French Michelin 3 Star destinations.  At Arrows the old world traditions are celebrated:  proscuittos and charcuterie are created on premise, fish of all types are prepared in the onsite smoke house, breads and pastries are created by a master pastry chef.  Cheeses are taken from curd to finished product in the kitchen and mushrooms, cranberries and fiddleheads are foraged from the surrounding woodlands. It’s worth the trip, no matter where you hail from.

What makes this woodsy destination special is that every Friday throughout the year, the chefs will create a robust three course dinner for only $39. December is an especially popular month for celebrating holidays and holiday treats. Reservations urged. Whenever we go, we book a local room because we so enjoy lounging in Arrows after dinner that we’re well past our bedtime and prefer not to drive the 90 minutes home. It’s always a night to remember.

When you go

For reservations:
dinner@arrowsrestaurant.com
207-361-1100

From the North: Take I-95 South to the Wells exit. From there, take Route 1 South into the center of Ogunquit. Once you are in the center you will see Key Bank on your right. That is the corner of Berwick Road. Make a right onto Berwick, and continue for 1.8 miles. Arrows is an old gray farmhouse on the right.

From the South: Take I-95 North to the York exit. At the light, make left onto Route 1 North. Go about 7 miles to the center of Ogunquit. Once in the center, you will see Key Bank on your left. That is the corner of Berwick Road. Make a left onto Berwick and continue for 1.8 miles. Arrows is an old gray farmhouse on the right.

PYO Smolak Farms

Smolak Farms–a 300 year old New England Farm with Pick Your Own orchards and berry fields in North Andover, MA–offers something for everyone on 130 acres of historic farmland. The “family farm experience” includes a petting zoo, old-fashioned ice cream stand, home made baked goods, and one of the most expansive orchards of antique apples in New England. Smolak Farms smartly offers seasonal activities as well, like a traditional hoe down, hayrides, and The Great Pumpkin Festival. It’s also a destination for event planners and film crews looking for the perfect bucolic setting. When you go, check out the hilltop gazebo, a truly romantic site for many a wedding at dusk.

PYO

Picking your own harvest is about as good as it gets for a cost-effective outing. August is the time for peaches, heirloom tomatoes, and sweet raspberries. Come September, the apples and pears are beginning to peak, and by October, the fields are laden with pumpkins. Check the PYO schedule for details.

Fall Activities

September 11 & 12 – Weekend In The Country
September 18 & 19 – Make Your Own Candy Apple
September 25  & 26 – Childrens Games and Activities
October 2 & 3 – Childrens Games and Activities
October 9, 10, 11 – Artisans Fair
October 16 & 17 – Great Pumpkin Festival – Trick or Treat Hayrides
October 23 & 24 – Trick or Treat Hayrides

how to get there

Smolak Farms is located at 315 South Bradford Street, North Andover, MA. 978-682-6332.

Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park

Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), created over 150 works of art, from exquisitely carved cameos to heroic-size public monuments. Works such as the “Standing Lincoln” monument and the Shaw Memorial, continue to inspire people today and his design for the 1907 Twenty Dollar Gold Piece is considered America’s most beautiful coin. In Cornish, NH, the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park is a lovely destination where art, music, and nature combine to soothe a hectic life. Be sure to visit the sculptor’s home, Aspet, when you go. And tell us about your visit on our blog.

Special fee-free days

All national parks, national wildlife refuges, and many areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management offer free admission this year on June 5-6, August 14-15, September 25 (Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day).

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, National Public Lands Day, Saint-Gaudens National Historic site and all other National Park sites will waive the entrance fee. Saint-Gaudens NHS will also offer our fifth annual Sculptural Visions event, with artists demonstrating different sculptural techiques, and sculpture activities for children and adults.

Regular fees and hours