Lizard’s Tail

The winter holidays might steal the spotlight as the season for sparkling wine, but we firmly believe that summer is where it’s at. (That said, there’s no wrong time of year to open a bottle of bubbly, if you ask us!) When the temperatures rise and we’re spending more time than usual in the sun (slathered in SPF, of course), we don’t crave a heavy IPA, potent bourbon-based cocktail, or powerful red wine. Instead, we find ourselves gravitating toward lower-ABV, ultra-refreshing (and hydrating!) spritzes. 

We’re sick of the Carrie Bradshaw slander. Say what you will about the Sex and the City and And Just Like That lead, but a woman that orders her Cosmopolitan with a side of fries? That’s our kind of girl. We are of the opinion that the iconic Cosmopolitan cocktail—and its counterparts, like the Porn Star Martini or vodka cranberry—deserve the reputation they’ve acquired over the years. The internet has classified these classic, sugary-sweet beverages as “cringe cocktails”—a label that maybe shouldn’t be taken as wholly negative.

Try these delicious flavoursome summer cocktail recipes to recreate Chelsea at home. We’ve even got the kids covered with a homemade elderflower cordial recipe just perfect for this time of year.

The best Foxtail Lilies can grow to 7 feet tall and form clumps of outstanding spires of star shaped flowers with showy stamens.

What do people look forward to the most about the fall? Is it the cooler temperatures and bonfires? The changing color of the leaves? The slathering of pumpkin spice flavor in every product imaginable? If you said “no” to these fall favorites, maybe for you it is the return of college football and tailgating. One thing for sure that no one looks forward to is severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and spending several hours or days hugging their toilet as a result of preventable foodborne illness.

This looks a lot like bird poop; however, it’s just a camouflage tactic of the giant swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio cresphontes). This species is often called the “orangedog” as they feed on members of the citrus family throughout their larval stage.

DID I MENTION THAT I COUNT BIRDS? (…4 tree swallows, 2 pileated, 5 turkey vultures, 4 bluebirds…no partridge in a pear tree but close. I could go on and on.) Everybody’s returning as fast as the plants are blooming: warblers, catbirds, hummingbirds are all here, with voices (and nests) galore.

‘I WILL BE  A BUTTERFLY, I WILL,” the black swallowtail caterpillar said between bites of dill foliage yesterday. “I think you are very beautiful even now,” I said, and asked if I could take his picture.

I’VE BEEN EDGING as fast as I can. And mulching, raking, weeding, transplanting; you know the drill. Spring frenzy—both in to-do’s, and in the madness of what’s blooming in time for Saturday’s May 6 Open Day. The plants are cooperating, so how about you? Rain or shine—we’re here with garden visiting, Broken Arrow Nursery plant sale, and your choice of two talks by Joseph Tychonievich (or both!), one on rock-garden ideas and another on pollinator plants.

Because you keep asking your questions in comments here on the website, in emails, on Facebook, and now at @awaytogarden, on Instagram, too, my friend and fellow garden writer Ken Druse keeps coming back to help me answer them.Read along as you listen to the May 20, 2018 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).the may urgent garden questions

These up-close observations aren’t just visually compelling, though. They also pull him down a rabbit hole of inquiry about who or what he’s looking at, and what’s going on, anyhow, and why? Nature’s endless fascinations and what they can teach us if we allow ourselves the time to explore was the topic of our recent conversation.Andy, who worked for many years at the rare plant specialty nursery Broken Arrow in Connecticut, has since 2018 been at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, where he is director of horticulture, managing its big-picture garden scenes, while h

Summer means beach runs, boat rides, and, of course, happy hours—and this year’s selection of trending cocktails is packed with seasonal flavors. From the Dirty Shirley to the Hugo Spritz, and even burrata- and bone broth-based drinks for the more adventurous, these options mean there’s truly something for everyone.