Rosslyn Redux

Tag: Catherine Seidenberg

  • Protecting Strawberries from Squirrels

    Of all the ways that gardeners try protecting strawberries from birds, bird netting offers the best solution. Learn how to safely protect your strawberries. (Source: Bonnie Plants)

    I mentioned to Catherine Seidenberg recently that strawberry bandits persistently steal/damage our ripe strawberries. The first couple of years after we established our strawberry patch, we produced an excess of strawberries.

    No; correction. There’s no such thing as “an excess of strawberries”.

    But we literally had to give strawberries away to keep up with the volume of delicious, ever-ripening strawberries. We couldn’t eat them all, even when our two still-tiny-but-strawberry-loving nieces visited. In hindsight, that was our “strawberry honeymoon”. Bliss. Worry-free. Decadent…

    [pullquote]Abundance philosophy: grow enough strawberries that people and critters can feast.[/pullquote]And then the squirrels (and chipmunks and birds) discovered our strawberry patch. They eat the ripest fruit. And, honestly, I’m okay with that. Abundance philosophy: grow enough strawberries that people and critters can feast. Everyone’s happy.

    Except that it doesn’t work out that way. The squirrels take a bite out of a ripe strawberry and move onto the next one. From fruit to fruit, taking a toothy swipe and then moving on,  spoiling far more strawberries than they could ever manage to eat. The result is lots of rotten strawberries, and fewer and fewer fruit for us to eat.

    Catherine Seidenberg suggested row covers and sent me a link to “Protecting Strawberries from Birds“.

    Undoubtedly the most effective way to protect strawberries from birds is to drape the strawberry patch with bird netting… Supported on a frame like a floating row cover… (Source: Bonnie Plants)

    I’ve ordered 100′ of Reemay Garden Blanket that should arrive later this week. Now I just need to figure out what I’m going to use for hoops…

  • Broccoli Bonanza

    Broccoli Head, July 2015
    Broccoli Head, July 2015

    For the first time in my gardening life I am enjoying homegrown broccoli from our vegetable garden. Better yet? It’s totally organic and totally pest free! That’s a broccoli bonanza!

    Our friend, neighbor and gardening guru Catherine Seidenberg asked me back in May why we weren’t planting broccoli. She had just agreed to join “Team Rosslyn” for the summer, and she was sorting through my garden geek database, seed orders, and seedlings.

    “I’ve always heard and read that it’s too difficult to grow broccoli without using some sort of pesticide,” I explained.

    She told me that she was confident we could grow broccoli without pesticide if we used plant covering to keep creepy crawley critters away from the tender plants. I was wary, but she seemed convinced me that we should give it a shot.

    Catherine with Broccoli, July 2015
    Catherine Seidenberg with Broccoli, July 2015

    We planted broccoli and kept it covered until about a week ago. The pet plants grew quickly, and the heads formed faultlessly. The heads were large but anemic-looking, pale yellow in color, more like cauliflower than broccoli. But a week ago Catherine Seidenberg removed the row covering and allowed the plants to absorb sunlight The heads quickly darkened, and last night we harvested two of the biggest and healthiest broccoli heads I’ve ever seen. And they were delicious!

    It’s worth noting that we soaked both heads for well over an hour in salty water to remove bugs/worms/etc. We found nothing. The broccoli was clean, healthy, tender and super tasty. Thank you, Catherine Seidenberg.

    Garden Fresh Broccoli, July 2015
    Garden Fresh Broccoli, July 2015

  • Beautiful Broccoli

    Catherine Seidenberg, our now-year-two vegetable garden guru, has once again aced the Broccoli Bonanza. That’s right, my bride and I have been devouring 100% organic, pest-free broccoli fresh out of the garden for a couple of weeks now. Quickly steamed, it’s packed with flavor, and oh-too-sexy to resist!

  • Catherine Seidenberg: Artist

    Rosslyn by Catherine Seidenberg
    Rosslyn by Catherine Seidenberg

    I wrap my digital arms around friend, neighbor, artist, and gardener extraordinaire Catherine Seidenberg for this memorable birthday gift. Thank you!

    Catherine’s whimsical black and white watercolor of Rosslyn’s front facade offers a chance to reflect on the past decade Susan and I have spent reinvigorating this quirky property and an invitation to daydream about its future. The matched tree hydrangeas are a nod to a pair of similar (though far older varieties) hydrangeas that flaked the entrance columns before we excavated the front of the house. The older plants were transplanted with an excavator and now thrive astride a gate in the garden behind the carriage barn. The view to the right of the house, beyond the stone wall, reminds me of photographs of Rosslyn in the 1800s when the rolling hills beyond the carriage barn and ice house were far more open than today, a sea of apple orchards and green pastures dotted with grazing sheep.

    [Sometimes a post is born, neglected, orphaned, left unpublished in blog purgatory. Sadly this is one such case, despite the fact that I’ve enjoyed this painting daily from its perch above the fireplace in my study. The following update reminded me that Catherine’s painting was never properly celebrated, so I conjoin the two newsworthy items here to showcase the multidisciplinary creativity of artist Catherine Seidenberg.]

    Craigardan Artist-in-Residence, Catherine Seidenberg

    After two years assisting with Rosslyn’s vegetable and flower gardens Catherine moved on to new challenges. She notified us this past spring that she was returning to ceramics, and would be spending much of this year in Keene, NY as the Craigardan artist-in-residence.

    Craigardan Harvest Plate Resident, Catherine Seidenberg (Source: craigardan.org)
    Craigardan Harvest Plate Resident, Catherine Seidenberg (Source: craigardan.org)

    HARVEST PLATE RESIDENCY For ceramic artists who wish to participate in Craigardan’s delicious celebration of the farm, the food, and the plate.  9-month Winter residency. The 2017 Harvest Plate Resident: Catherine Seidenberg (Source: Craigardan)

    Craigardan Harvest Plate Resident, Catherine Seidenberg (Source: craigardan.org)
    Craigardan Harvest Plate Resident, Catherine Seidenberg (Source: craigardan.org)

    If you’re in the Adirondacks (or near enough to swing through Keene, NY) I encourage you to meet Catherine in mid-September.

    Slide Talk: a conversation with harvest plate resident, Catherine Seidenberg (Friday, September 15, 2017, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM) Meet artist-in-residence Catherine Seidenberg, view her ceramic work and learn about her beautiful processes.  Catherine is our summer Harvest Plate Resident, crafting all of the tableware for the fall benefit event, Dinner in the Field. (Source: Craigardan)

    Susan and I are looking forward to the fall benefit!

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  • Buried Peony Crowns

    Buried Peony Crowns
    Buried Peony Crowns

    Catherine Seidenberg, an exciting new addition to “Team Rosslyn” this spring, has been tackling all sorts of vegetable and flower garden projects.

    Most exciting? I’m learning lots from her!

    Her most recent caveat was that I’ve been using too much manure around our peonies.

    She warned that burying the peony crowns will hinder them from blooming.

    Yikes!

    She’s carefully excavated all 15+ clumps, so we should be in the clear now.

    Buried Peony Crowns
    Buried Peony Crowns

    I have to admit that I’ve been mounding nutrient-rich composted manure over the expired peonies in the autumn for as far back as I can remember. Fortunately I’ve gotten lucky in the past. But now I’ll remedy my ways.