Holiday prep is underway at Remodelista, where the editors are : counting napkins, polishing silver, and replacing chipped wineglasses. Get a head start here:

Above: A new line of household essentials from Kaufmann Mercantile includes a set of hand-thrown ceramic dishes that will mix and match with whatever you own. See more at The New Dining Essentials.

Above: Alexa reimagines the Thanksgiving table with leather placemats and holsters (for the flatware). See more at The Unfussy Thanksgiving Table.

Above: Expecting holiday house guests? Put them up at the Boro Hotel in Long Island City.

Above: Our holiday Remodelista Market in Boston is coming up—put it on your calendar and stop by Lekker Home on November 14 and 15. Among the offerings will be dbO Home's Indigao Kashmir Collection of dinnerware (as shown).

Above: How many people did you say are coming for Thanksgiving? Have no fear; help is on the way. See Janet's suggestions for covering the basics in 10 Easy Pieces: Entertaining for a Crowd.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Table of Contents: The New Landscape
• Top 5 in Garden News: RHS Will Plant a Fifth Garden and the World's Driest Place is Covered in Blooms
• Current Obsessions: Holidays Ahead

Here's a look at a few things we loved this week.

• Above: With plans to spend next week wandering through gardens in New England, we're curious to see this documentary set close by.
• Fall camping inspiration.
• Yearning to see: Gardens Aglow in Maine.

• Above: The rambling grounds of Luis Laplace and Christophe Comoy's summer estate. Photograph by Pascal Chevallier for Vogue.
• The fight to save Jumbo Wild.
• Over on Remodelista: pack baskets with everlasting appeal.
• Enter your architecture project in Architizer's A+Awards contest (deadline December 11). 

• Above: Proof that carnations are more than filler flowers. Photograph via Little Green Notebook.
• A new spin on the wreath. 
• The strength of African Honey Bees.

• Above: Enter our Amaryllis Giveaway, now through Nov. 20. 
• Mark your calendars: Next weekend, Remodelista is hosting its first New England Market (Nov. 14-15).

Instagram and Pinterest Picks of the Week

• Above: We've been poring over the Instagram feed from the team behind The London Plane (@londonplanseattle)

• Above: We're keen on the starring role plants play in Emily Schuman's Home Details board. 

For more Gardenista, see our The New Landscape issue, and head over to Remodelista to read about The Holiday House.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Top 5 in Garden News: Better Bread from Better Wheat, Biomimicry May Feed the World, and Are Hydroponics Organic?
• Trending on Remodelista: Holiday House
• Table of Contents: The New Landscape

This week in the world of gardening, scientists have mapped the pineapple genome, a debate rages over organic hydroponics, and wheat breeders try to bring back healthy, flavorful bread. 

Better Bread from Better Wheat

Above: Stephen Jones at the Bread Lab. Photo by Rika Manabe for Norah magazine. 

The New York Times describes the work of wheat scientist Stephen Jones and his Mount Vernon, Washington “Bread Lab,” a project of Washington State University. At the lab, Jones attempts “to reinvent the most important food in history.” He is focused on heritage regional wheats that once produced flavorful and healthy breads across America before the advent of industrial agriculture. His work in wheat breeding aims to combine the health and flavor of heritage strains with the hardiness of modern wheats. “The Bread Lab’s mission is to make regional grain farming viable once more.” Read it at the New York Times. (Subscription may be required.)

American Birdsong Smartphone App

Above: A prothonotary warbler in Lake Marion, South Carolina. Photo via the Internet Bird Collection. 

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, about 20 percent of Americans—nearly 50 million people—call themselves bird watchers. Many are novices, or "backyard birders," who will soon have help from musician and birder Tom Stephenson. He's developed an app called BirdGenie, which allows anyone with a smartphone to identify birdsongs across the United States. It's not the first birdsong identification app—the most famous is a UK app called Warblr—but it is the first comprehensive app to identify American birds and the first to use highly accurate sonogram technology. Like other apps, it allows users to act as “citizen scientists” and upload their recordings to a central database. BirdGenie is currently in beta; the full version is expected to be released in early 2016. Read more at the New Yorker. (Subscription may be required).  

Scientists Map the Pineapple Genome

Above: A pineapple plantation in Taiwan. Photo by Melinda Chan on Flickr.  

On November 2 in journal Nature Genetics, scientists announced that the gene sequence of the pineapple has been mapped. Pineapple genes are of special interest to researchers because of the plant's drought tolerance and water-efficient brand of photosynthesis, known as CAM, which uses 20 to 80 percent less water than typical crop plants. Read more at Reuters. 

More Stories from Gardenista

• Current Obsessions: The City on a Hill
• Trending on Remodelista: Holiday House
• Table of Contents: The New Landscape

We're headed to New England this week: to steal garden ideas from the Pilgrims, to see how Yankee ingenuity rescued a garden ravaged by a hurricane, and to find clever storage ideas for firewood. Join us:

Monday

Above: Ravaged by a hurricane, a historic Maine garden makes a remarkable comeback in this week's Landscape Architect Visit.

Tuesday

Above: File this under clever storage solutions. We round up our favorite log and firewood stackers in this week's 10 Easy Pieces.

Wednesday

Above: We're heading to Boston this weekend for our first-ever Remodelista New England Market with co-sponsor Lekker Home. Join us on Saturday and Sunday at Lekker, at 1313 Washington Street, Boston.

Thursday

Above: We visit an environmentally friendly house and garden in Maine, complete with solar panels, a green roof, and a unique rainwater collection system in this week's Garden Visit.

Above: Planning a Thanksgiving menu? We've rounded up our favorite garden-to-table side dishes in this week's Recipe post.

Friday

Above: This week's Hotel Visit takes us to Maine to visit a very special hostel (with a very special kitchen garden).

More Stories from Gardenista

• Top 5 in Garden News: Better Bread from Better Wheat, Biomimicry May Feed the World, and Are Hydroponics Organic?
• Current Obsessions: The City on a Hill
• Trending on Remodelista: Holiday House

Built on Maine's Mount Desert Island in 1916, three years before Acadia was established as the oldest national park east of the Mississippi, a privately owned Swiss-style chalet and its teahouse sat peacefully inside the park's boundary for nine decades. Then came the hurricane.

In 2008, Hurricane Hanna roared up the East Coast, leaving a swath of destruction and desolation. The storm struck the  Mount Desert Island property while a remodel was underway to convert the teahouse into guest quarters. Says landscape architect Matthew Cunningham, who saw the teahouse after the storm, "Only an exposed, depleted, and raw cross-section of earth remained, and it was rapidly eroding into the sea."

Cunningham, whose practice is headquartered in Winchester, Massachusetts (on the northern outskirts of Boston), was the right landscape architect to hire to come up with a plan. Having grown up near the park, he was familiar with the wild, untamed beauty of Acadia (in which there are 184 private properties on which the National Park Service holds easements). The plan Cunningham came up with won a 2014 Honor Award from the American Assocation of Landscape Architests.

Working with a client who wanted the garden to look natural and unstudied, Cunningham created a mossy fairyland fit for the rocky Maine coast:

Photography via Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design.

Above: Built in 1916, the main house resembles a Swiss chalet. Retaining walls of dry-laid fieldstone and paths of local granite are new storm-proofing features, to aid drainage and prevent erosion.

Above: Landscape architect Cunningham chose each piece of granite personally, subjecting it to a "barefoot test" to make sure it was smooth enough to walk on without shoes. Native mosses grow in the joints between pavers.

Above: To create a woodland garden setting evocative of the greater surroundings, several kinds of fern—including Christmas fern, sweet fern, interrupted fern, and hay-scented fern (Shown)—grow in the garden.

Above: Granite-edged pathways paved with pine needles meander around the property, leading to scenic overlooks above Somes Sound. Running alongside the walkway is an unobtrusive infiltration trench designed to collect and filter rainwater.

Above: Low-growing native bunchberry is planted in the center of the ribbon driveway that leads to the house.

Before

Above: When Hurricane Hanna hit the Eastern Seaboard in September, 2008, it scoured the terrain surrounding the property. Granite walls tumbled and tall spruce trees toppled, leaving an eroded landscape.

After

Above: A fire pit terrace is shaded by the boughs of a massive pine that survived the storm. Bayberry, winterberry, and ferns grow around the perimeter and granite boulders are daily reminders of the glaciers that shaped the land.

Above: Granite stairs bordered by ferns are cut into the hillside.

Above: A dining terrace with panoramic views across the Sound is bordered by a hedge of 'Annabelle' hydrangeas (in the Foreground). To learn more about 'Annabelle' see Expert Advice: The 10 Best Hydrangeas to Grow.

Above: Granite retaining walls direct water flow away from the house and minimize runoff.

Above: Foxes and other wildlife are daily reminders of the proximity of the national park.

Above: The garden's plant palette includes bunchberry, laurel, and low-bush blueberry. White spruce, striped maple, and paper birch trees are focal points in the landscape.

Meandering through Maine? See more of our favorite spots to visit:

• Maine Getaway: A Simpler Way of Life on Deer Isle.
• Hike of the Week: A Winter Wonderland in Maine.
• Snug Harbor Farm: Your First Stop in Maine.

More Stories from Gardenista

• 9 Garden Ideas to Steal from the Pilgrims
• Low-Cost Luxury: 9 Ways to Use Decomposed Granite in a Landscape
• A Gas Station Transformed: Gallerist Juerg Judin at Home in Berlin

Through November 15, a David Stark-designed garden pop-up shop in Detroit is showcasing collaborations between international designers and local artists.

The event is sponsored by Culture Lab Detroit, which fosters collaboration between the Detroit design community and the rest of the world. Six product lines were designed for the event, each by an internationally known designer in partnership with a local Detroit artist, organization, or manufacturer. The space—at Nora design shop in Detroit—is by event designer David Stark, whose love of nature-inspired designs and Detroit's burgeoning design scene are evident in the décor: “A​s one of the birthplaces of modern American design, Detroit’s rich traditions of craft are an inspiration," says David.

Shop the entire collection online or in Detroit: the Culture Lab Design pop-up runs through November 15 at Nora, at 4240 Cass Avenue. 

Above: We previewed David Stark's new Pierced Flower Rests in a roundup of fall floral arrangements he styled for us; see Short on Floral Inspiration? Start with the Vessel, Says David Stark. 

Above: The Pierced Flower Rests are a collaboration between David and Victoria Ashley Shaheen, a ceramic artist who teaches her craft in the heart of Detroit. They come in six variations on three disc sizes—6-inch, 9-inch, and 12-inch—each with a unique hole pattern of circles or loose "snowflakes." Each disc comes with a glass cylinder vase, and prices range from $85 to $250.

Above: We like that the flower rests are attractive enough to leave sparsely filled, or can be packed to the gills for a fuller arrangement. "The rests put the structure that florists have historically hidden out front as an elegant, chic feature,” says David. 

Above: Italian designer Paola Navone collaborated with Detroit Denim Company to create the Mario Overall, designed to be "happily and comfortably" worn over clothes. Think of the workwear as a sturdy apron, with pockets for seeds, tools, and more; $340. 

Above: Navone also teamed with Line Studio Detroit and founding artist Andrew Ward to create the April Cement Planters, three styles in concrete with a hand-painted finish. Shown here, the long planter is $1,850. 

Above: Once filled with greenery, the April planters are meant to evoke an urban garden bursting out of concrete. Here, the April Cement Planter in large is $1,600.

Above: New York-based interior designer Kelly Behun partnered with Cass Community Social Services of Detroit to turn discarded tires and auto parts—plentiful in Motor City—into traditional-looking macramé hanging planters. Says Kelly, "The juxtaposition [of tires and plants] is not only striking aesthetically, but also holds a bigger message about the importance of recycling to our planet's very survival."

Above: The best part? One hundred percent of hanging planter proceeds go to Cass Community Social Services, which provides housing, health care, and more than one million meals a year to Detroit residents in need. It also offers job placement services, including at its own Green Industries—a recycled-goods manufacturing plant staffed by adults who have significant barriers to employment. The re:TREAD Macramé Plant Hanger ranges from $175 for small through $1,200 for extra large. 

Above: The Detroit pop-up, designed by David Stark and featuring gold accents and straw bales from nearby Detroit farms.

Above: Macramé hanging planters and Paola Navone's cement vessels against a straw bale wall in the pop-up. 

For more, browse the pop-up's Rock Lamp and Detroit Vase, and visit Nora's own Complementary Shop of works by Detroit artists including quilts, lighting, and table linens. 

For more from David Stark, see: 

• 11 Ways to Look Younger Instantly (Hint: Light a Candle).
• Short on Floral Inspiration? Start with the Vessel, Says David Stark.
• Outdoors: David Stark Outdoor String Lights.
• DIY: Painted Runner Tablecloth by David Stark.

More Stories from Gardenista

• True Nature Botanicals: Nontoxic, Science-First Skin Care
• Gardenista Giveaway: Near & Far, a New Cookbook from Heidi Swanson
• Ask the Expert: Tips for Starting a Houseplant Collection

The Pilgrims who came ashore from the Mayflower were serious gardeners. They had to be. If their crops failed, they'd have starved. Here are 10 of their best garden ideas, worth stealing nearly 400 Thanksgivings later:

Join a Community Garden

Above: Photograph via Colonial Quills.

The Pilgrims had individual garden plots outside their houses, but they pooled their resources and planted staple crops such as corn in communal plots on the edge of town. For modern gardeners, community gardens are places to exchange ideas, get advice, and work side by side with neighbors. Like the Pilgrims, you can plant more intensively in a single, dedicated plot—and end up with a bigger harvest to share.

Learn Your Climate

Above: Peas on the vine; for more, see DIY: How to Save Seeds for Next Year.

The Pilgrims came prepared to grow peas, but their first crop failed in 1621. Historians think they may have planted peas by the same timetable they would have used in England, not realizing that the harsh New England weather required them to wait.

Not having access to The Old Farmer's Almanac Planting Dates Calendar (customized by location), the Pilgrims had to learn by trial and error. By 1629, they had the pea problem solved; the Massachusetts Bay governor's garden had a thriving crop, according to the diary of the Rev. Francis Higginson.

Find Your Roots

Above: Skirrets, harvested. For more, see 12 Garden Ideas to Steal from Henry VIII's England.

In addition to growing the usual suspects like turnips and carrots, the Pilgrims raised crops of other root vegetables most of us have never tasted, including skirrets (similar in taste to parsnips) and scorzonera (with a flavor described as similar to oysters).

Theories abound about why they fell out of favor; the long, thin roots may have been more trouble than they're worth to pull out of the ground without breaking. But why take someone else's word for it? A packet of 20 Skirret Seeds is $3 from Amish Land Seeds and a packet of Scorzonera Seeds is $3.95 from Johnny's.

Divide and Conquer

Above: Photograph via The Time Treasurer.

The Pilgrims grew crops in raised beds that were 12 feet long and 4 feet wide, an easy-to-manage size for tilling, weeding, and sowing seeds (even if you were wearing voluminous skirts). The dimensions are just as useful for today's gardens; limiting a bed's width to 4 feet makes it easy to reach into the middle without having to step on growing plants.

Dry Your Herbs

Above: Photograph via Kinfolk.

The Pilgrims hung dried herbs from hooks and rafters in their homes, keeping them at arm's reach for cooking, making remedies, and brewing tea. 

Preserve Your Vegetables

Above: Photograph by Justine Hand for Gardenista. 

The Pilgrims dried vegetables to preserve them through the winter. It's a useful technique for today's cook, because drying vegetables concentrates flavor. For step-by-step instructions, see DIY: Colonial Dried Vegetables.

Make Natural Remedies

Above: The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes by John Gerard was published in 1597.

The Pilgrims relied on herbs for medicinal purposes and grew other plants, as well, for natural remedies. Rumex patientia (patience dock) is now considered a weed; in colonial times, it was a cure for constipation. In a modern garden, many common plants—from calendula to mint—also have medicinal purposes. For ideas, see First Aid: 5 Essential Healing Plants to Grow Now.

Start a Compost Pile

Above: Photograph via Bacsac.

The Pilgrims kept a compost pile in the corner of the garden, where it was easily turned and forked and moved as necessary. My grandmother had one too. If you want to start composting, you don't need a bin or a box or anything fancy; just rake a pile leaves into the corner of the garden and start from there. For more easy composting ideas, see DIY Compost: Are You Obsessed?

Take Care of Your Tools

Above: The Pilgrims came ashore with simple garden tools. There were no rototillers, electric leaf blowers, or gas-powered lawn mowers aboard the Mayflower. In a modern garden, old-fashioned tools may well be enough. Buy high-quality tools, take good care of them, and they will give you pleasure for a lifetime. If you're putting together a starter set of garden tools, we've collected our favorites in The Gardenista 100: Best Hand Tools and Best Tools: 10 Favorite Garden Forks.

See more ideas to steal from colonial America, see:

• Garden Visit: Secrets of Another Century at Colonial Williamsburg.
• The Romance of the Homemade Candle.
• 10 Favorites: Picket Fences.

More Stories from Gardenista

• After the Hurricane: The Resurrection of a Wild Garden in Maine
• Low-Cost Luxury: 9 Ways to Use Decomposed Granite in a Landscape
• A Gas Station Transformed: Gallerist Juerg Judin at Home in Berlin

There are so many satisfying ways to neatly stack firewood—on shelfs, in open-air sheds, under tarpaulins. Here are ten of our favorite weatherproof ways to stack logs and kindling this winter:

Round Shelves

Above: From Australia, the Wood Stacker is $2,200 AU from Unearthed (custom designs are available).

Above: A 43-inch-tall Steel Log Rack made by Pleasant Hearth measures 40 inches in diameter and is 14 inches deep. It is $162.99 from Wayfair.

Above: A 14-inch-deep Steel U Shaped Firewood Rack measures 91 inches wide and 41 inches tall and is $156.99 from Wayfair.

Bookshelf Storage

Above: Made of steel, Custom Metal Screening keeps firewood tidy. For pricing and information, see Herrhammer.

Above: A 7-foot-tall metal Firewood Shelf from Germany-based garden furniture manufacturer Garpa is £780.

Sheds

Above: A weatherproof Wooden Log Store made of spruce is £148.50 from Garden Trading (assembly required).

Above: a Log Store from Euroheat has a pre-fitted felt shingle roof and is £226.80.

Above: A Three Bay Store holds firewood and standard size garbage bins; made to order from locally sourced sawn timber. For pricing and more information, see Devon Log Stores.

Tarpaulins

Above: a Self-Stretching Tarpaulin available in two sizes has reinforced eyes and corners; prices range from £47 to £60 from Manufactum.

Above: An 8-foot Woodhaven Firewood Rack made of 16-gauge stell comes with a tarpaulin cover and holds 1/2 cord of wood; $199 from Woodland.

For more winter warmth, see:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Firewood Log Carriers
• DIY: How to Make a Roaring (and Eco-Friendly) Wood Fire.
• Domestic Dispatches: Goodbye to the Romance of the Wood-burning Fireplace?

More Stories from Gardenista

• Curb Appeal: A Custom Mailbox with Style to Spare
• Hardscaping 101: Pathway Lighting
• 10 Easy Pieces: Black Wharf Lights

I'm the first to remind friends that we've still got a few weeks of summer left. But in the garden, there are signs of a shift in the season as plants start to wither. Rather than yanking spent plants out of the earth, however, you should be gathering their precious seeds for next year. 

Abby Meadow, from the Tend Collective, grows heirloom vegetables in her Oregon garden. She took photographs of her own seed-saving endeavors, and says, "Growing seed can be simple and intuitive. Most plants, if let be, will do what they need to do to reproduce. Typically, a plant will fruit, flower, set seed, and then wither away. As the plants wither, the seed dries up, falls off the plant, and sows itself for germination at a favorable time.

"In most cases, this is exactly how to approach saving seed for your own deliberate use. Allow the plant to take its full course, and when the seeds are fully mature and dried on the plant, it's time to take them inside to store."

Here is Abby Meadow's advice for saving seeds:

Photography by Abby Meadow.

Above: This sage plant has given its show of beautiful purple blooms. Each dried blossom hides a small cluster of seeds. 

Above: Sage seeds, which are almost black, fall easily from the flower when they're ready to harvest.

Above: Calendula seeds are ready to harvest when they can be easily rubbed away from the flower heads. At this point the seeds may still be green, but you can set them out to dry thoroughly before storage.

Above: Calendula seeds drying.

Above: Sometimes saving seeds takes patience, and a sacrifice of garden space. The Bull's Blood Beet plant is a great example: In the stage of seed-production pictured here, it's about 5 feet tall, and a leggy, floppy sprawl (and it's already looked this way for several months).

Above: But once the beet seed is ready to harvest, you won't need to save any more for a while. A few unruly months yields several years' worth of viable seed.

Above: Just leave peas and beans on the vine until the pods are fully dried. Says Abby Meadow: "I make a rough determination of how many plants I'd like to grow the following year, and then leave enough pods on the vine to accommodate my hopes for harvest. Once dried, the peas and beans inside can be removed and stored."

Above: Coriander (cilantro) seed is a delicious culinary addition when still green. But for seed harvest, it's best to allow the seeds to dry on the plant. You can then use the seeds in cooking, or for planting in a new season. Cilantro flowers also add a delicate beauty to the garden and are loved by bees and other pollinating insects.

Above: Kale is another generous seed producer. One plant will grow enough seed for countless gardens full of kale. Let the pods dry on the plant, then snip them off and extract the seed. Honeybees are crazy for kale flowers, making them a great attraction for beneficial pollinators.

In addition to providing food for the future, Abby says that "saving seeds also provides pollen for insects during periods of the year that can otherwise be sparse. When we save seeds, pollen-producing flowers are left on the plants for beneficial insects, extra seed can be left for the birds, and the cycle of food production can continue for us gardeners."

For advice on keeping your seeds safe for next year's planting, see Store Your Own Seeds. And now that we've got you thinking about seeds, read about this intriguing resource: A Bank for Rare Seeds in Petaluma.

N.B.: This is an update of a post published September 3, 2013.

More Stories from Gardenista

• DIY: A Dried Fruit Garland
• Shisito Cocktail: October in a Glass
• Gardening 101: How to Plant a Bulb

If life imitates art, so too does the garden. At least in the case of artist Georgia Marsh's home in Jamestown, RI. It is clear that Georgia approaches her garden with an artist's keen sense of space, allowing stone walls and paths to define the various beds. She has no interest in highly cultivated gardens with perfectly trimmed edges and borders. Instead, she prefers native grasses, fennel, and sedum to spill out over stone borders and into the walkways, swaying, bending, and creating movement throughout the landscape.  

Photography by Christine Chitnis for Gardenista.

Above: Georgia and her husband, Ted, bought the property 14 years ago, despite its dilapidated state and underwhelming grounds. (Their real estate agent had actually been embarrassed to show them the place.) The couple had already spent years fixing up various New York CIty lofts, and they felt they could bring the same vision and elbow grease to the Jamestown property. The result is a home that reflects their aesthetic, both inside and out. 

Above: The indoor furnishings are all "found" and vintage, with lovingly worn patinas and stories to tell. The same goes for the garden, which is filled with plants that Georgia has found in her travels around Maine, Cape Cod, and even New York City.

Above: Walking through her garden, Georgia can remember bringing home each plant, and carefully propagating it. "You either have time or money," Georgia states about the hobby of gardening. "I have time, so I buy plants that I love and propagate them to fill the space."

Above: Georgia prefers plants with an understated beauty, instead of those with, as she puts it, "too much lipstick." There are no flashy bloomers with bold colors in her garden, or plants that have been over-bred. Instead, simplicity and nature dictate the flow.

Above: Georgia calls herself a "disciple of Piet Oudolf." She has had plenty of time to study the work of this Dutch garden designer, since one of his projects is a backyard to her New York City apartment. "When I'm in the city, I wake up and walk through Battery Park, a loop that takes me about forty minutes."

Above: In fact, many of Georgia's first plants came from a sale held at Battery Park. During that event, the plants sold are divisions from Oudolf's original plantings. Georgia tells a tale of driving her beach Jeep from Jamestown to Manhattan, attempting to park overnight without getting ticketed, loading it with plants in the early morning, and hightailing it out of town to get back to her garden.

Above: Georgia spends June through October, the gardening months, as she calls them, in Jamestown, mostly holed up in her studio, just steps from the house.

 Above: Through the studio doors she has a view of the garden, so she can watch the plants throughout the day, turning their faces towards the sun and bending in the sea breeze.  

Above: After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design and spending years teaching painting and drawing at the School of Visual Arts and New York University, Georgia now has the time to commit to her own artwork. It's no surprise that her favorite subject is plant life.  She is endlessly fascinated by the architecture of plants, their whirling patterns and organic shapes.

Above: Garlic from the garden.

"It's my Zen," she says of her love of plants, and with her garden she has created a serene space capable of imparting a bit of Zen to its lucky visitors.

For another of our favorite artist's gardens, see Garden Visit: Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage at Dungeness. And for another of our favorite Rhode Island gardens, see Landscape Architect Visit: A Historic Farm, Ocean Views Included.

More Stories from Gardenista

• 9 Garden Ideas to Steal from the Pilgrims
• After the Hurricane: The Resurrection of a Wild Garden in Maine
• Low-Cost Luxury: 9 Ways to Use Decomposed Granite in a Landscape

Well known beyond the Berkshires for their Campo de' Fiori line of classic terra cotta pots and planters, Barbara Bockbrader and her husband, Robin Norris, also have a shop well-loved by locals in western Massachusetts.

Located in a barn on a four-acre site in the Berkshires town of Sheffield, the Campo de' Fiori shop is packed—indoors and out—with an unusual selection of handmade and locally designed garden accessories and furnishings. Is it possible to take it all in during one visit? Probably not, but let's browse:

Photography by Rich Pomerantz.

Above: The inventory includes one-of-a-kind pieces of iron, bronze, wood, concrete, and wood, and glass. And, of course, terra cotta.

Above: Many of the pots for sale at Campo de' Fiori, including the small pie-crust pots shown here are designed by Norris and manufactured in Mexico, near San Miguel de Allende. The hand-turned Pie Crust Planters also are available online in three sizes at prices ranging from $16.25 to $33.75.

Above: A carved stone obelisk (at Left) stands at the entrance to the shop, which is housed in a barn.

Above: Horticulturalist Bockbrader arranges plants in pots to suit their personalities. An Aged Campanula Planter with a leafy pattern at its base is from the shop's Botanical Designs line and is also available online, for prices ranging from $72.50 to $147.50 depending on size.

Above: Specializing in moss-covered terra cotta pots that look ancient, Norris and Bockbrader have been collaborating since they met in the 1980s. Their first foray together into retail was a roadside stand on Route 7 in western Massachusetts, where they sold organic vegetables, plants, and pottery they imported from Mexico.

Above: Vessels acquire their distinctive mossy look in a greenhouse on site where spores travel from one pot to the next to create a living layer of green velvet.

Above: The design of the Eleanor Planter (available online for prices that range from $33.75 to $52.50 depending on whether you want one with or without moss) is based on a self-portrait sculpted in 1920 by artist Eleanor Longear Wallace, a friend of Norris' mother.

Above: Made of iron, Wire Balls are available online in four sizes; prices range from $47.50 to $247.50 depending on size.

Above: Trained as a tree, a white Brugmansia trumpet vine scents the shop's front path. A tropical plant, Brugmansia needs to come indoors for the winter in New England. For a similar plant, a Brugmansia 'Betty Marshall' is $22 from Plant Delights.

• DIY: How to Transform Terra Cotta Pots into Instant Antiques.
• 10 Easy Pieces: Terra Cotta Planters.
• Shopper's Diary: GRDN in Brooklyn.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Garden Visit: At Home in Rhode Island with Painter Georgia Marsh
• 9 Garden Ideas to Steal from the Pilgrims
• After the Hurricane: The Resurrection of a Wild Garden in Maine

SAVE THE DATE: We're thrilled to announce our first Remodelista & Gardenista Market in New England, coming this weekend to Boston. Our Market co-sponsor is Lekker Home, and the venue is their lofty showroom in the south end of Boston (ample parking in a lot nearby at 560 Harrison Ave.).

More than 30 local artisans from New England will be bringing their ceramics, clothing, jewelry, and more. A selection of the offerings and a list of the vendors is below; hope to see you there! 

Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 am to 6 pm

Sunday, Nov. 15, from 10 am to 5 pm

Lekker Home, 1313 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02118

Participating Vendors

Above: Hand-painted canvas floor mats, bags, and more from Black Point Mercantile in Portland, Maine.

Above: Botanical goods, healing herbs, and wooden wares from the Salt Cellar Shop on outer Cape Cod. 

Above: Nesting bowls from Taylor Ceramics in Easthampton, MA.  

Above: Seersucker stripe pestemals from 8Knots of Shelter Island.

Above: Wool blankets made on antique looms from The Maine Blanket.

Above: Children's clothing from Boston-based Morgan & Milo.

Above: Handmade bags from Stitch and Tickle in Boston.

Above: Brothers Artisan Oil of Boston will be selling pomades, waxes, and oils for the well-groomed man.

Above: Twenty Boat of Truro, MA will be pouring tastes of locally made rums ("dedicated to the bootleggers of Cape Cod"). Photograph via Foodie Tales.

New England Market Sellers*

*Sellers Confirmed as of October 21, 2015 

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More Stories from Gardenista

• Table of Contents: New New England
• Top 5 in Garden News: Better Bread from Better Wheat, Biomimicry May Feed the World, and Are Hydroponics Organic?
• Current Obsessions: The City on a Hill

Anyone hunting for a home in the last decade was sure to get an earful about the wine cellar. It was the room de rigueur when it came to home renovations. No home was complete without one, so they appeared in virtually any available nook and cranny. Old basement? Wine cellar! That vacant space under the garage stairs? Wine cellar! But, how many of us really have a collection of 500 vintage wines? What we do have is food. And, the abundance of local farmers markets and even our own vegetable gardens has us thinking, will the root cellar become the new wine cellar? We think it should.

Above: Photograph via More Love XOXO.

A modern root cellar and a pantry have much in common.

What is a root cellar?

Root cellars predate refrigeration, taking advantage of the earth's natural cooling, insulating, and humidifying properties to protect and extend the life of food stores. Usually built underground or into the ground, this space is so-called because the primary use historically was storing root crops to extract the maximum usable life out of them. Ideal for more than root vegetables, "cold cellar" might be a better name.

Above: Vegetable haul. Photograph by Erin Boyle. For more, see Cheat Sheet: How to Keep Vegetables Fresh Longer.

How does a root cellar work?

A root cellar preserves food because it is both cool and humid - the soil underground keeps the space above freezing temperature and the moisture in the air prevents vegetables from losing water and becoming rubbery. The key is cool, with an ideal cellar temperature range somewhere between 32 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Relative humidity should be 80 to 90 percent. 

Scientifically speaking, this system works by slowing the release of ethylene gas from the crops and stopping the growth of microorganisms that cause decomposition. The humidity level prevents loss of moisture through evaporation. The flavor and texture of vegetables change very little while they’re in storage, and they retain most of their nutritional value.

Above: A root cellar isn’t entirely ineffective if it doesn’t meet the ideal conditions noted above, but it performs better when it can. Thermometers and hygrometers can be used to monitor cellar conditions.

Are root cellars just for root vegetables?

No. While sturdy root vegetables are great candidates for cellaring, many other vegetables and fruits from the fall bounty can be stored.

Above: Photograph via Shenandoah Valley Flowers.

Particularly good are biennial vegetables, from plants that flower and set seed during the following season, meaning they’re programmed for long storage. That includes members of the squash family, apples, beets, potatoes and onions. Other unsuspecting edibles like leeks, brussels sprouts, peppers, and citrus fruits can last in a cold room for periods of two to eight weeks, depending on the type of vegetable and the conditions. 

Above: Root cellars also provide storage for nuts and seeds. Photograph via The Rigneys.

How do you design a root cellar?

Traditional root cellars are built into the side of a hill, affording entry while also getting the natural benefits of underground storage. Short of drawing up complex plans and embarking on a major construction project, there are many ways to retro-fit a natural cold food storage space into many different home and garden situations.

The simplest strategy may be to turn your basement, or a corner of it, into a cold storage cellar. This can be done at little expense with the addition of shelves, bins, and other storage containers preferably placed in the dampest spot and against exterior walls that are in contact with soil (for the optimal temperature and humidity conditions). Organic Gardening offers a complete guide for Turning Your Basement Into a Root Cellar.

A portion of an outdoor storage shed can be insulated to protect from freezing and devoted to winter food storage.

Have an available patch of dirt? Create an instant root cellar by digging a pit for a metal garbage can, submerging it so its top is level with the ground, and then using straw to line and top your mini cellar. See Inhabitat's Build a Backyard Root Cellar for more ideas.

Even a mound of earth can keep a number of root vegetables fresh for months. By encasing these vegetables in straw or newspaper or just in loosened dirt, the root crops will be preserved all winter long (critters may be the only threat in this instance.)   

Above: A basement corner root cellar stores canned goods and apples. Photograph by Moonmeadow via Flickr.

I live in the city with no basement to be found; what are my options?

Any amount of controlled environment will enhance the longevity of some fruits and most vegetables. So when refrigerator space gets too tight for the fall bounty, urban dwellers can store their crops by setting up a root cellar-equivalent in a cold drafty cupboard, by using an insulated cooler filled with straw on a balcony, creating an insulated window basket, or even storing them in sand.

"Keeping root vegetables in sand is a trick that farmers have often relied on to extend the freshness of fall crops into the winter. Farmers can keep whole bushels of carrots, beets, and parsnips in oversized wooden crates filled with moist sand or sawdust and left in a cool, dark place," explains Erin in our earlier feature Roots in the Sand: Winter Vegetable Storage. "Lucky for folks with smaller grow operations, we found a smaller-scale model for more modest harvests." 

Above: To keep carrots and beets fresh, alternate layers of vegetables with moist sand or sawdust. Use the same bin for storing potatoes, turnips, or winter squash, but leave out the sand.  The Root Storage Bin is made from a wire frame and jute liner; $34.95 from Gardener's Supply.

Any tips for root cellar storage?

Store vegetables and fruits in containers that allow air to circulate from top to bottom, such as natural baskets, wooden crates, and racks with spacing.

Be gentle with the vegetables you plan to store, as bruised produce will spoil at a faster rate.

To prepare most root vegetables for winter storage, trim the green tops, leaving a one-inch stub to prevent decay. Be careful not to cut the root tips or root flesh (like bruises this will invite spoilage).

The temperature in a root cellar is never uniform; typically it gets warmer the higher you go. Consider your placement of produce accordingly, putting those that tolerate warmer temperatures well, such as onions, garlic, and shallots higher up.

Above: Fresh vegetables and fruits last different lengths of time when stored in a root cellar, but potatoes probably last the longest among vegetables; apples among fruit.

Different crops like different conditions. Refer to Nancy and Mike Bubel's decades old book, Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables that is still considered the definitive root cellar guide and encyclopedia; $11.44 at Amazon.

For more food storage solutions, see:

• The Well-Stocked Pantry: Potato Storage 101
• 5 Favorites: Modern Root Cellars
• A Refrigerator-Free Kitchen?
• 5 Favorites: Canning Jars

More Stories from Gardenista

• 11 Best Outdoor Holiday Lights for 2015
• 10 Easy Pieces: Firewood and Log Storage
• Curb Appeal: A Custom Mailbox with Style to Spare

Is it too early to think about holiday lights? Never.

It's going to take some work to get your facade outlined like a glowing gingerbread house, so let's get started. Or you can cover your boxwood balls in twinkly hair nets or put lanterns on a stoop. Here are our 11 top picks for 2015:

Above: A battery-powered Boxwood Net Light is suitable for both outdoors and in; it stretches like a hair net to fit a potted plant and is available in two sizes from Terrain; from $28 to $38 depending on size.

Above: A remote-controlled Indoor/Outdoor Flameless Pillar Candle is available in 10 sizes, at prices ranging from $19 to $59 apiece at Restoration Hardware.

Above: Tried and true, a 200-light White LED Light Set stretches 67 feet and is our pick for a facade. With a flexible cord and tightly spaced lights, it's lightweight and nicely outlines architectural features; $27.98 from Home Depot.

Above: To wrap around a banister or stoop railing, an LED Garland with white rice lights on a green cord is 111 feet long and rated for outdoor use; $148.99 from Lights for All Occasions. 

Above: An extra-long, 50-foot cord of Plaza String Lights is rubberized to withstand weather; $299 from Rejuvenation.

Above: One of a kind, an Evergreen Themed Porch Fixture has a midcentury "Father Knows Best" style. Made of stamped steel and opal glass, it's $375 from Rejuvenation.

Above: A powder coated steel Lantern Lighthouse created for Normann Copenhagen is suited to outdoor use and has glass panels to prevent winter wind from blowing out a candle; €97 from Manufactum.

Above: Also available in white (from Finnish Design Shop), the LightHouse Lantern is based on Nordic design traditions, in which plain lines dominate; €92.

Above: A string of cafe-style lights on a clear wire is lit by LED fairy lights encased in each acrylic bulb. A 27-foot string of Warm White Fairy LED Lights is $33.49 from Lights for All Occasions.

Above: Built to stand up to the weather, a Bollard Oil Lamp has a teak base and ribbed glass jar. It burns standard lamp oil. "Hang it on a branch, rest it on a table or place it on the ground to achieve your desired effect," are the suggestions from Design Within Reach; $175.

Above: A Scandinavian tradition, Christmas candles in a window will cast a welcome glow on the street below. A set of two Hand Dipped Taper Candles is $8 from March.

For more holiday lighting ideas, see:

• Hardscaping 101: Holiday Lighting Safety Tips.
• 10 Easy Pieces: Outdoor Holiday String Lights.
• DIY: Botanical Ice Lanterns.

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• Hardscaping 101: Modern Root Cellars
• 10 Easy Pieces: Firewood and Log Storage
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We spent the year simmering. In a good way. We've been in the kitchen, adding to our repertoire of quick and easy, no-fail dishes, perfect to bring the next time you're invited to a holiday party. (Potluck Thanksgiving, anyone?)

And we do mean direct from the garden. (Step 1: Wash off dirt.) This year, we went to Berkeley to watch cookbook writer Mollie Katzen snip kale from the Land of the Giants stalks she's harboring in her backyard. We picked alpine strawberries and baby spinach on a Harlem roof terrace with 66 Square Feet cookbook writer Marie Viljoen. And we tromped to upstate New York to wander around Glutton for Life blogger Laura Silverman's sprawling kitchen garden, which magically grows crispy kale chips and cheesy chard pizza.

To kick off the holiday season, here's a roundup of our favorites, dishes that would be perfect to take to a holiday potluck party:

Above: Celeriac Gratin and Thyme. Photograph by Erin Boyle.

Cheesy? Check. Decadent? Check. Fire up the oven. After consuming countless casseroles involving potatoes and cream, the crowd will clamor for the novelty of your thinly sliced celeriac (OK, the root vegetables get a little help from Gruyere). For ingredients and step-by-step instructions, see Erin's recipe for Celeriac Gratin and Thyme.

Above: Best cook you know? The place where you'd like to be invited to eat your last meal? For me, that's my friend Susan Brenna's kitchen. Try a slice of her Pumpkin Chiffon Cake (an adaptation of a recipe her mother clipped from a women's magazine years ago) and then, after you wolf down the rest of it guiltily, make a second cake to take to the party. You'll be so popular.

Above: Mollie Katzen's Smoky Brussels Sprouts and Onion. Photograph by John Merkl for Gardenista.

Mollie Katzen was the cook who taught me that vegetables taste good (you too?) After her classic Moosewood Cookbook introduced strange words like "hummus" into American vocabularies in the 1970s, she continued experimenting in ways to simplify recipes while intensifying flavor. Her Smoky Brussels Sprouts and Onion, from her new cookbook Heart of the Plate, is an excellent make-ahead dish for a party. Brussels sprouts have integrity. They won't wilt or whine or compromise on texture or flavor when you reheat them.

Above: Creamed Winter Greens. Photograph by Laura Silverman for Gardenista.

Made with buttermilk and a mix of whatever greens are on hand—kale, chard, and collard will do fine—Creamed Winter Greens arrive at a party in a covered casserole dish. You may bake them ahead of time or just before serving, depending on how proprietary the host is feeling about oven space. Do. Not. Forget. The. Crispy. Puffed. Rice.

For the full recipe, see Garden-to-Table Recipe: Eat Your Greens.

Above: Were you asked to bring dessert? Bake away: here's a fruit crisp with a twist: Bake-Ahead Apple-Coconut Crisp. Photograph by Olivia Rae James for Gardenista.

For ingredients and instructions, see Bake-Ahead Apple-Coconut Crisp.

Above: Here's a dessert that screams holiday in the nicest possible tone of voice: beautiful Pears Roasted in Red Wine from Marie Viljoen's cookbook, 66 Square Feet: A Delicious Life.  Serve hot or at room temperature. Photograph by Marie Viljoen.

Inspired to plan a holiday menu? Browse all our Garden-to-Table Recipes and get more entertaining tips from Remodelista's Holiday Prep experts.

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At the Deer Isle Hostel in Maine, guests sign up for more than a typical escape from reality. The hostel is on an island that's just a bridge span away from the mainland, but for overnight guests the experience offers a glimpse into a way of life that might seem worlds away.

In addition to a good night's sleep, owners Dennis and Anneli offer guests an opportunity to enjoy an alternative way of life that's "simple, rewarding and dignifying."

Photography by Anneli Carter-Sundqvist for Deer Isle Hostel except where noted.

Above: Photograph by Ali Kaukas.

Dennis and Anneli live year-round in a 17th century-style farmhouse that Dennis built using hand tools and local materials (including the granite used in the traditional stone foundation). The three-story structure is based on the 1687 Boardman House in Saugus, Massachusetts and includes private and dorm-style rooms for guests.

Above: Looking out at the homestead's impressive vegetable garden. Dennis and Anneli raise pigs and chickens, and can and ferment their garden goods to eat year-round.

Above: Photograph by Ali Kaukas.

Guests at the hostel can enjoy a nightly communal meal grown and prepared on site.

Above: Photograph by Ali Kaukas.

Guests are expected to participate in the meal, either by bringing a contribution (olive oil, coffee, tea, and wine are welcome additions) or by helping with prep or cleanup.

Above: A cabbage from the hostel garden. 

Above: The hostel embraces life off the grid and encourages guests to do the same. Water is hand-pumped from a well on the property and solar panels power electric lights. The hostel goes without refrigeration, relying on a granite cellar to keep perishables cool. For guests seeking creature comforts, the hostel provides heated water and a metal watering can that can be hoisted and tipped for showering. Toilets are no-flush but odor-free. All bedding is provided by the hostel.

Above: The newly built Spruce Hut, available for $60 a night (single or double occupancy).

Above: Bikes are available for guests to use; opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, and hiking also abound on Deer Isle and the surrounding mainland and coastal islands in Penobscot Bay.

The Deer Isle Hostel is open seasonally from May through the beginning of September. Call 207.348.2308 or email info@deerislehostel.com for more information. 

Interested in heading off the grid? See Laura's tips for Growing Vegetables in the Middle of Nowhere. Just looking for a place to spend the night? Earn Your Wilderness Stripes at the Minam River Lodge.

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An autumn tradition in my family, our annual walk on the "Battlefield Road" retraces the footsteps of Paul Revere from Lexington to Concord. Here, in addition to autumn splendor, we enjoy presentations in Revolutionary firearms and, my favorite, colonial cooking.

Fall was a time of bounty in colonial New England. But with no refrigeration, it was also time to prepare for the long, hard winter, preserving food by pickling, salting, and drying. Not only women, but also children were expected to partake in this provisioning process, with evenings by the fire spent stringing vegetables and fruits to be dried. As one who is always game to instill a sense of history in my children, and perhaps kill an hour or two in the process, I decided to give it a try. 

Read on for step-by-step instructions:

Photography by Justine Hand.

Above: Each October at Hartwell Tavern, a preserved 18th century house and gathering place along the Battlefield Road, historic reenactors demonstrate authentic methods of colonial food preparation and preservation.

Carrots, onions, broccoli, peas, almost any vegetable can be dried. I found the most comprehensive list of which vegetables to use and how to prepare them at Colorado State.

Above: Strung using a large needle and kitchen twine, fresh and dried mushrooms hang in the sun at Hartwell Tavern in Lincoln, MA.

Above: Back home, we gathered supplies. Beans and mushrooms are easy to dry and are therefore a good option for beginners.

Above: With their small fingers, children are ideal candidates for stringing vegetables. They also really enjoyed it. Here, Oliver, 7, strings green beans. 

Above: Solvi, 5, works on mushrooms.

Above: After one strand each, Oliver and Solvi were still raring to go, so they switched vegetables and started again.

Above: There is almost nothing more charming than the sight of your children stringing vegetables. (Photo opps galore.)

Above: After our vegetables were strung, we simply found a sunny, dry spot (our kitchen window) in which to hang them. Then all you do is wait.

Above: A few days later we decided to try drying apples.

Above: After a couple of weeks we had dried food. The results, though not pretty, were still pretty satisfying.

Above: Stored in sterilized antique canning jars, our dried vegetables should keep all winter.

Above: For more authentic colonial food preservation and other handy household tips, the folks at Minute Man National Park recommended the improved The Servant Directory or House-Keepers Campanion, available from G. Gedney Godwin, Inc.; $7.75. (When reading, it is helpful to note that the letters that look like f's are in fact s's.) 

DIY: Dry Vegetables Like a Colonist

Unlike my recent foray into colonial candle making, which was fun but labor-intensive, drying vegetables in the tradition of our fore-mothers was quite easy. 

• First, procure fresh vegetables from a garden or farm stand. If you are growing beans, it is recommended that you leave them on the stem as long as possible. (As I learned from Blind Pig and the Acorn's excellent experiments with colonial foods: dried beans are also called "leather britches.")

• Gently wash vegetables and thoroughly dry them; moisture may introduce mold. It is also recommended that you blanch vegetables such as beans to kill germs that can cause mold and decay.

• Using a large needle, such as an embroidery needle, and some kitchen string or sturdy thread, begin stringing vegetables or fruit. Be sure to knot the ends so the food stays in place.
• After your strand is complete, select a warm, well-ventilated, and moisture-free space in which to hang your vegetables. Many colonists selected a place in the kitchen or under the eaves in the attic. (Some websites even recommend the window of a car, parked in a sunny spot.) The idea is that it should be warm enough to dry the vegetables quickly, but not so fast that the outsides become hard and lock in moisture. Obviously, like anything, this involves some trial and error. But lucky us, ours turned out great the first time.
• Drying time depends on the dryness of your spot. In my kitchen window, it took only two weeks. One of the reenactors at Hartwell Tavern said it took four weeks for her mushrooms to dry. 
• Dried vegetables will look shriveled. Beans should be pretty hard, mushrooms and apples will still be spongy.
• After your vegetables have dried, place them in a sterilized container and store in a dark, dry place.
• Use the concentrated flavor of your dried vegetables in soups or casseroles all winter.

Interested in more ways to prolong the shelf life of food? Try our recipe for Pickled Dilly Beans, explore methods of Preserving Roots in Sand, or try your hand at Canned Tomatoes.

N.B.: This is an update of a post published November 6, 2013.

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As we get ready for our first-ever Remodelista Market in Boston this weekend, the Remodelista team takes a look at what's new on the local design scene in New England:

Above: Julie's house hunting in New England: An Iconic Modern House Hits the Market in Vermont.

Above: Eyesore no more. Alexa has rounded up 10 Problem-Solving Electrical Outlets you won't mind seeing on a wall.

Above: Taylor Ceramics is one of nearly three dozen makers and artists who will be joining us for our first-ever Remodelista Market in New England this weekend. Are you in Boston? Stop by.

Above: Weekend getaway, anyone? Check in for A Stylish Stay at the Rivertown Lodge in Hudson, NY.

Above: Enter to win a $1,000 gift card to shop the global collection at DARA Artisans, including textiles, ceramics, tableware, jewelry, and accessories.

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• Coming This Weekend: Our First Remodelista New England Market
• Table of Contents: New New England
• Top 5 in Garden News: Better Bread from Better Wheat, Biomimicry May Feed the World, and Are Hydroponics Organic?

If you're in the Boston area, be sure to visit us today and tomorrow at Lekker Home for the Remodelista Market. If not, have a look at what we loved this week. 

Our first two-day Remodelista Market takes place this weekend in Boston at Lekker Home. We'll be there along with 30+ vendors from the New England area, today and tomorrow at 1313 Washington Street, Boston MA. Above: Photograph by Jessica Comingore. 

• Above: To benefit the Edible Schoolyard Project, we partnered with IfOnly to create a winter bough with olive branches and white flowers. To purchase one or for more information, visit IfOnly.  Photograph by Aya Brackett. 
• On our reading list: Greenterior, a book about plant lovers and their homes. 

• Above: Instead of layering the potatoes on top of each other, this gratin recipe calls for vertically arranged slices. Photograph by Honestly Yum. 
• Going camping? Consider one of these campgrounds. 

Instagram and Pinterest Pick of the Week

• Above: If you can't make it to the Remodelista Market this weekend, keep up with one of the makers Annie Meyer (@annemeyerstudio) on Instagram.

• Above: We're following Boston General Store, another vendor from our holiday market on Pinterest. 

For more Gardenista, read our New New England issue and see Remodelista's week of East Coast design. 

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This week in the world of gardening, the US government steps up to save the monarch butterflies, LA's Getty Center considers salad-making a performance art, and humans have been keeping bees for 9,000 years. 

UK’s Oldest Tree May Be Switching Sex

Above: A male yew tree shedding pollen. Photo via National Education Network. 

The UK's oldest tree, the Fortingall Yew in Scotland, has surprised scientists by producing berries—a hallmark of female trees. The 3,000- to 5,000-year-old yew has until now been considered male; a scientist at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh said that yew trees are normally easy to identify by gender, and the Fortingall has the pollen-releasing structures known to male trees. It's not unheard of, however, for yew trees to fluctuate in gender. "Odd as it may seem, yews, and many other conifers that have separate sexes, have been observed to switch sex," he said, noting that it's not fully understood by science. Read it at BBC News. 

Bees Have Helped Humans Since the Stone Age

Above: A beekeeping portrayal from a 10th-century Byzantine text. Image via Medievalists. 

Scientists have analyzed beeswax residue inside archeological artifacts to determine that humans have been exploiting bees for around 9,000 years. Researchers surveyed artifacts in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, and published their findings this week in the journal Nature. Early bee farmers likely used bees for honey in addition to beeswax for cosmetics, fuel, and medicine. Read it at Scientific American. 

US Government Helps Monarchs, and Be Careful Which Milkweed You Choose

Above: Swamp milkweed by Tom Potterfield via Flickr. 

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the US Department of Agriculture has made $4 million available to farmers in ten states to help them plant milkweed and other nectar-rich plants helpful to monarch butterflies. Farmers in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin are eligible for funding.

Monarchs are dependent on milkweed for their survival—it is the only plant on which the monarchs lay eggs and it helps make the butterflies toxic to predators—but Science magazine reports that planting non-native milkweed does more harm than good. Among several issues, the non-native varieties contain parasites that shorten the lifespan of the butterflies. (Use a Milkweed Seed Finder to locate a species native to your area.) 

The "Bio-Euphoric" Effects of Gardening

Above: Gardener Sarah Raven planting bulbs, via 10 Easy Pieces: Bulb Planters. 

Physician and University of California, San Francisco professor Daphne Miller cites a litany of research into the possible explanations for what she calls the "bio-euphoric" effects of gardening—that is, improved mental health and reduced feelings of anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, researchers at Westminster and Essex universities in the UK have demonstrated that people who work in community gardens at least 30 minutes per week enjoy better physical and mental health than their peers. Read the stories at Yes! Magazine and GOOD.

Salad as Contemporary Art

Above: The Getty Center salad garden. Photo via LA Times.  

Now through January 11, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is hosting a Salad Garden performance art stage, in which artists make and eat salads from more than 50 lettuces, herbs, and flowers growing on-site. Coordinating artist Julia Sherman says that the diversity and uncommonness of the plants is key to the art. "Even if artists come with a plan ahead of time, there's a certain element of chance and improvisation that necessarily happens on site." Read it at NPR. 

More from this week: 

• Trending on Remodelista: New New England
• Trending on Gardenista: New World Basics

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