High Tide

The CapeMay.com blog

Author Archive

Lorraine Kiefer

Lorraine Kiefer has gardened all of her life. She is a garden writer, floral designer and professional horticulturist. Lorraine teaches many classes at Triple Oaks nursery and Herb Garden in Franklinville, NJ.

The Fuss Over Tussie Mussies

February is a special month and the shortest on the calendar. The hours of daylight get a bit longer each day. Buds and other plants begin to quicken and suddenly send forth green or blooms.

Time for Soup

Although we wish it were snowing here, it should be noted that Lorraine is in Franklinville, NJ. Soup instructions are in bold. Many gardeners love to get outside no matter what the weather. I am always eager to look at the garden when I go out to feed the chickens or fill the bird feeders. It… Read more »

Holly, Winter’s Berries

It’s beginning to look a lot like winter, with berries everywhere! Colorful berries are one of the joys of a winter landscape and garden. They sparkle like jewels on a sunny day or when there is a snowfall. I love to collect them for holiday decorating and also enjoy seeing them outside my window. Birds… Read more »

The Pumpkin: Thanksgiving’s Centerpiece

In a historic town like Cape May, seasonal decorations that are quaint and natural are often seen in autumn! I know that some folks begin to decorate for Christmas in mid-November, but others hold out until after Thanksgiving. Pumpkins are often scattered here and there in doorways and along paths in the spirit of an… Read more »

Bogged Down with Cranberries

A working cranberry bog mirrors one of American’s earliest agriculture practices. It also showcases some of the newest and most innovative methods used by farmers today. But time stands still when one reflects on these glistening berries during a beautiful Indian summer day in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Each autumn farmer continues gathering the… Read more »

End of Summer Gardens

Sometimes I feel like a character on little house on the prairie when I am in my garden at dusk. Gardens and sunsets are timeless. As we approach the end of the summer, gardens in southern New Jersey are more colorful than ever. Zinnia and marigolds pop from their foliage and look great on a… Read more »

Herbal Tea Gardens

It is not too late to plant a tea garden. Think about an herb tea garden! Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little herb area in the sun near the kitchen door where you could snip fragrant pieces of fresh green herbs for tea? This garden would be pretty, fragrant useful and alive about… Read more »

Prunus maritime

I remember a gnarled old beach plum in my mother-in-law’s back ally in Ocean City. That was a long time ago and the tree was taken out by new owners years later. This 95-year-old little lady told us of picking beach plums inOcean City when she was a child and later picking them as a young mother… Read more »

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

The New Jersey coast is one of the best places to have an herb garden. The well drained soil, sunshine and breezes all encourage healthy plants. Rosemary and lavender grow best at the shore and throughout most of the Delaware Valley, but then so do many other herbs. A mild but cool winter allows perennial herbs… Read more »

Scents of the Season

On a warm, sunny May day, there are many wonderful fragrances in the air. May is the month of hundreds of blooming perennials, shrubs, and trees.  Wildflowers dot the ground in shady areas and old fashion perennials, such as iris and poppies bloom in the sun. Often there is a fruity, spicy scent in the air in our… Read more »