Blog – Janet Mavec

Hoo's out there

I have been hearing the owls all winter. Now that it is Spring, their night calls are even louder. I don’t speak owl, so I can’t tell you exactly what theyare saying. But scientists who study such thingshave dropped the cl...

Hellebores, Not Hell-a-Boring: Spring's First Bloom

It is just warm enough to work outside in New Jersey. Halleluja, mother nature, bring on the spring. My first task is to tend to the Hellebores (Helleborus spp.). I love these pretty, little early risers. They brush their...

Winter: What your trees need right now. Tout suite! Chop, Chop

If you’re new to farm/garden life, here’s something you may not realize. Winter only seems like a quiet time of the year. And, mostly, it is. But it’s also when the fruit trees within your acreage, are bared as if under a...

The Year of the Lime

According to the Chinese Calendar, 2024 marks the Year of the Dragon (starting February 10). At my garden, however, it's the Year of Citrus. So much so that I'd like to propose a romantic Valentine's Day dinner, not to be lau...

Oysters on the Farm

Bird Haven Farm isn’t exactly on the ocean. So how can I have oysters in my collection if I'm only making things that grow, fly, or swim on the farm? Well, I cheated a tiny bit. We just love Oysters!!.. and we get them from o...

Bonkers for Blackberries

There's something magical about wandering through the untamed outer edges of our farm, where we let everything get into a big tangle. Among the weeds, there are treasures. The blackberries! I go bonkers for blackberries....

This Photographer Captures the Most Moving Portraits of the World's Gardens

Now is exactly the right time to pay close attention to the work of photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo.The Brooklyn-based artist focuses on flowers and other earth wildscapes, many of which, we know, are disappearing. What she surfac...

Q&A: New York Dog Walker Distracted by Nature

Every now and again, Janet Mavec knocks on the door of a fellow New York nature lover for a good old-fashioned sit down. Our latest crush is on Margot Guralnick, the woman behind @margotgur. Name: Margot Guralnick Provenance...

The Best Garden Tools

Now that you're fully immersed in your garden, you might want to know the tools of the trade. Here’s what garden experts say they can’t live without. Continue reading

Pisces Alert: Your Astrological Guide to Jewelry

Pisces alert. Their birthday season is upon us, and you probably know one. They're social. They are also allegedly the most developed sign of the Zodiac. I say this not as a Pisces but as a friend of one. She insists this is ...

Floral Expectations: 350 Flowers

Flower farmer, I am not. Flower hobbyist, I am. I recycle dog-food cans, pull dribs, drabs and drama from my garden, and arrange sweet bouquets for the farmers market. That is, until this past summer when the trajectory of my relationship with flowers changed. Ready for a little flora fairytale?
How I grew 350 flowers for my niece's wedding. Continue reading

The Power Couple of Plants: Ken Druse and Louis Bauer

View of garden in the fall from the house The Power Couple of Plants Why hello garden role models! When Ken Druse and Louis Bauer said “yes” to our request for their gardening secrets, we wet our plants. The two are...