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I have found heaven: Rosaly’s Garden

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It has been a completely psychotic few weeks.  If I were to be granted one wish, I think I’d wish for life to slow down just a wee bit. I’ve been trying to convince Chris that I could be a great stay-at-home kitty mom, but I don’t think he’s buying it.  It is the most intense time in garden land and I haven’t written in over a week!

When I was little, I wanted to be an author. Though that dream still lingers somewhere in my subconscious, I have a new dream.  When I grow up, I want to own my own vegetable farm.  I can imagine picking fresh veggies and herbs on Saturday mornings and working my stand at a farmers market, selling beautiful organic tomatoes, celery root, string beans, and more.  I can also sell herbs (both potted and cut) and gorgeous summer bouquets.  Not the overly-flashy types of flowers you’d see in a flower store.  I mean the true summertime flowers like zinnias, dahlias, amaranthus, loosestrife, black-eyed susans, sunflowers (I could keep going…calendula, Queen Anne’s Lace, delphinium, yarrow…).  These bouquets make me feel giddy and they are the epitome of summer.

It is a lovely dream that I do see coming true eventually.  We all need a dream to work towards.

In the meantime, I think I found what might just be a slice of heaven in Peterborough, New Hampshire.  I can at least visit this place as much as possible on my trips to New Hampshire and pretend I own the joint. This place of wonder, Rosaly’s Garden, almost didn’t seem real when we visited about two weeks ago.  I could have stayed there all day.  In fact, if Rosaly herself came out and asked me to work there for nothing, I’d say, “what can I do first?”


All I knew prior to our arrival was that it was a farm and my father (who shares my dream) couldn’t wait for me to see it. 

I first saw the hydrangeas.  There was a long row of them and they were as tall as I am.  I love the limelight hydrangea and I tried to grow one a few years ago.  It didn’t winter over.


Then I realized there was a big sign that indicated I could actually pick my own flowers?  What crazy (and amazing) concept is this? 

Scissors in hand, my mother and I set out to create our own bouquets.  But what to choose…

bachelor's button (cornflower)

love lies bleeding (amaranthus)

zinnias (all different colors)

hmmm...actually not sure what this one is but my mom really loved it

delphinium, which is one of the most beautiful flower in my opinion (second only to the dahlia)

I ended up with a mixture of blue delphinium, white/pinkish yarrow, bachelor’s button, little white flowers in the mum family, and something else that was yarrow-ish, but I’m not sure what the name of it is.  And here I thought I could name nearly every flower.  I have much to learn.


What topped the whole thing off was actually in the herb garden– a few lovely sprigs of red bee balm.


So, the herb garden.  Wow.  It was nothing short of amazing. 

can you imagine the pesto?!?!

being a good cat dad, Chris immediately thought of bringing the kitties home a treat

can you imagine having an herb garden this vast?

We ended up taking home chocolate mint, shiso, and tarragon because they are something we haven’t grown (yet wanted to try), catnip for the kitties, and parsley because I planted my parsley seed very late at home.  I believe parsley belongs in every possible food.  I also grabbed some just-picked garlic.



I highly recommend this place.  They sell to some of the smaller markets in the area, but nothing beats going to pick your own great stuff.

I made some new recipes that I’ll share very soon: tarragon and porcini mushroom pasta in a (vegan) cream sauce, tomato and shiso salad, and the best summertime drink: mojitos.

and I shall have some peace there

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And I Shall Have Some Peace There: Trading in the Fast Lane for My Own Dirt RoadAnd I Shall Have Some Peace There: Trading in the Fast Lane for My Own Dirt Road by Margaret Roach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As someone working in the corporate sector in the world who spends her days longing to be in her garden, this was an absolute must-read for me. Here you have successful Margaret Roach with the job that many women/people would die to have–at Martha Stewart Living–who found a way to let all of the pressures go to live in a secluded place with a very slow pace…just to be one with nature.

This story isn’t gardening 101 or any form of a self-help manual, but rather a story that belongs to the author. Her story and her journey of leaving the high-powered position at Martha Stewart and taking a huge risk and a huge gamble (something everyone would fear and second-guess to no end) is inspirational to say the least. She asks herself time and time again, “Who am I if I am not mroach@marthastewart.com?” At first she is overwhelmed and fearful of the alone-ness of it all, but through the eyes of birds, beasts, and vegetables (and great neighbors), she begins to live the life of her dreams.

The writing can be difficult to follow at first and quite poetic/stream of consciousness. It bothered me at the start, but it ended up becoming one of the things I loved the most about this book.

She begins by asking, “How did I go from she who lives in the world to she who lives in the woods?” For those of us that dream of a more enriched and rural life, we can read into Ms. Roach’s journey as moving INTO the world, rather than leaving it behind.

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leaning string bean trellis

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All of a sudden, I saw the numbers going up–quickly–on my blog readership.  I realized that tons of people were searching for things like “cucumber trellis” and “twine trellis for pickles” and things like that.  It was rapidly becoming my most popular post in terms of random Web searches.  I called the man responsible for that post (dad-the handiest of the handymen) and told him.  He didn’t say much, but I could tell that he was proud.

I also realized I still haven’t posted our (ha – I say “our”) green bean trellis how-to, which is working out quite nicely I might add.  But…if I find the bug who is treating my bean leaves like a free all-you-can-eat-buffet, he or she is going down.

If you are just getting around to planting your green beans, or the seeds have sprouted and the plants are looking for a place to grow on, we’ve…um…my dad has just the thing for you.

This trellis is meant to be placed in a spot where it can lean against something.  My yard is small and I have to use my space wisely.  Leaning a trellis up to this large white fence seemed to be the most efficient idea.  If you have more room, you can build two of these and tie them together at the top to create a sortof A frame.

Start with branches. You’ll want them to be as tall as you (maybe a bit taller).  The beans need lots of room to grow.  My trellis is actually more like 9 feet or so, which means I will either need a step (or one of the Celtics) to pick the beans at the top.


Step 1: Lay your framework/branches out on the ground.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, but try to make the spacing as even as possible.

Step 2: Start with a slip knot at each corner with a long tail.  Then wrap twine around each corner in a figure 8.  Tie the end to the long tail in a square knot.  A square knot holds twine very well.

Step 3: After you’ve tied the four corners,  follow suit with the branches in the middle.

Step 4: When your foundation is complete, start to run the twine from the bottom to the top using square knots on each end.    Be sure to tie your knot tightly, as if you were wrapping a present.  You don’t want any slack on the string. Also be sure to wrap the twine around each branch securely as you go up.

Step 5: Lean the trellis up against your support (wall, fence, etc.).  Voila!


Plant your climbing bean plants at the bottom of each string.  As they start to grow, train them up the strings.

In just a few short weeks, look how much they’ve grown!

Even more exciting–I discovered flower blossoms today that will one day become delicious, healthy string beans.

UK trip: London, Brighton, and Lewes

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Just arrived home yesterday from a business trip to the UK.  Normally, I grumble when work travel comes up.  But…going to England and hanging out with utterly cool people is a far cry from a typical work trip. I had a really great time!

A few observations. 
First, I wanted to stuff every garden I had the opportunity to see in my suitcase to take home with me.  English gardens are inspirational and have a beauty all their own, taking on characteristics of both formal and cottage-style.

Next, though England seems like the antithesis of vegetarianism (just try a proper English breakfast or look up blood pudding and you’ll know what I mean), I was surprised to find that it wasn’t that hard to find vegetarian food.  Plus (as you’ll read below), there are great veggie restaurants.

Last, English people have a better balance than we do in the US.  I’m sure I’m oversimplifying, but it all of my experiences traveling to the UK, this statement seems to have some truth. They take lunch breaks.  They leave work at a relatively decent hour.  They take their vacations seriously.  They have lengthy maternity and paternity leaves to help new families start out.  It is really eye-opening and something I wish Americans could learn from (including myself).

The trip
Normally, my camera is an extra limb attached to my body.  This time, I couldn’t bear the thought of lugging my SLR around with different lenses and I also didn’t want to annoy work colleagues by being too much of a tourist, so the best I can offer you are some iPhone pictures.

I arrived first at Heathrow.  Two trains plus the Underground later, I arrived in sunny Brighton, which is on the south shore.

the words “mind the gap” will be imprinted in my mind for quite a while, as they say this over and over while in the London Underground

Each trip I’ve previously taken to the UK has always been in the middle of the country (London, Oxford, Hook Norton, Birmingham), so this was a real treat.  Brighton is a lively city that is still old by US standards, but has white and cream colored buildings that have a newer seaside look about them.  My colleagues took me to the Brighton Pavilion, which is this really wild looking building built for the stylish King George IV in the late 1700s.

April and Emily

the Pavilion garden had the tallest hollyhocks I’ve ever seen

After the day in Brighton, I went back on the train for a short ride to Lewes, where I stayed for a few days.  Lewes might be the most charming town I’ve ever been in.  I stayed at a place called The Pelham House.  My favorite spot was out back in the garden, where I had a glass of wine in solitude each night.

my view at The Pelham House

There were lavender hedges in the garden here, and I do mean hedges! They were so beautiful and fragrant.

my view at breakfast

I really wish I had taken photos right in the town of Lewes, including near the fabulous Harveys Brewery .

My last night in Lewes, a whole group of us went to dinner at Terre a Terre, back in Brighton.  It was impressive, to say the least!  I had a fizzy berry drink (Prosecco with Chambord) first.


Then we shared Smashed Dashimaki (tofu, red peppers, basil, bean sprout, and miso mayonnaise in an egg roll), Raw Maki Sushi Roll (parsnip and pine nut rice, avocado, radish pickle and orange ponzu dipping sauce), and Mai Fun Salad (black rice noodles, raw vegetable spaghetti, shoots and leaves, umboshi plum white miso and served with toasted cured tofu, roasted sesame oil and pomegranate beads).

My main dish was amazing.  Rosti Raj was a crazy combination of onion and garlic rosti (what Americans would call “hashed browns”) topped with griddled tandoori halloumi, salsa with spring onion bulbs, chillies, mustard seeds and coriander served with curry leaf, coconut and lime sauce.

The next day, my lovely colleague, Adam, and I boarded the train to London to meet with an author in Notting Hill.

Notting Hill Underground

Afterwards, we took the Underground to Westminster, where I of course got to see the Clock Tower at the Palace of Westminster (what we foreigners call Big Ben in general).

I learned some interesting trivia. Big Ben is only just the bell inside of the clock, not the entire clock tower.

We just missed the big labor protest.  You can read more about it here.

I got to have a few pints of ale near Westminster and Covent Gardens.

The following morning, I hopped on a plane and went home.

When I arrived home, I didn’t unpack or even shower first.  Instead, I weeded the garden voraciously. I think those beautiful English gardens made me feel a bit self conscious.