15 Montgomery Road
P. O. Box 186
Huntington, MA 01050
Ph: 413-667-5786
Katheryn Darrow

Experienced gardener available for Design, Installation, Restoration & Maintenance. I use hand tools and practice Soil-building, Integrated Pest Management, and Organic Gardening methods. No charge for first consultation.

Full Steam Ahead!

When I first moved to Westfield in 1968, on my morning commute I would see the fall colors and was thrilled. Then came the winter snows, but I was unprepared for that burst of spring activity, when everybody would be out raking, stooping over the emerging bulbs, feeling great about the warm days, and just plain ENJOYMENT. I was fresh from southern California, where the climate was wonderful, but the seasonal changes were non-existent. Since then, more than 30 years ago, I have been an ardent advocate of the Western Massachusetts ecology, the Westfield River and its watershed, the farms, and ALL OF IT.

It's time to plant, to lay out the garden you have in your mind. Trees, take the longest to establish, should come first. They are your future wind-breaks, shade, and economy of scale. They reduce heating and cooling costs, hold moisture on slopes, and bring birds and wildlife to you.

Your plan can only do so much, but after the dreams and study, it is invaluable to you. If the budget is tight, a plan will give you the overview that may take several years to achieve. A path can be converted from inexpensive wood chips to gravel at a later time. The all-important compost pile will pay for itself as it compensates for peat moss. Children need space to play, pets can be in the plan, and snow removal in winter need not spoil the potential of visual beauty.

Get acquainted with your location, the wind patterns, areas of wet and dry spots. You are going to be there for years, and you will be playing in the yard and garden for as many years. Don't rush your pleasure with demands for instant accomplishment: As the poet once said, " A man does not plant a tree for himself; he plants it for posterity."

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