Category: City Life

Close Your Windows & Hold Your Nose, Boston’s Stink Trees Are in Bloom

That rotting, herbal scent in the Boston air is coming from the many, many Ailanthus altissima that have self seeded and invaded the yards and alleys around the city. When I put the search term stink tree into Google, my top hit is for Wikipedia's Ailanthus altissima entry so I'm not the only one with a nose that is sensitive to this summer bloomer.

It's appropriate that the seed droppings have outlined the manholes for Boston Sewer – these trees deliver the kind of smell that seems to belong with those words. Back Bay alleyways are wearing a coat of chartreuse and overhead the female trees are in full bloom.

If your allergies act up for the next couple of weeks, you may be sensitive to this pollen. Make sure you give your hands, face, and hair a wipe down after a walk through the yellow-green snow. And, if your pup is carrying some green dust home, give him or her a dip in some cool water to make sure the pollen clinging to a furry coat is not spread all over the house.

Back in 2008, I wrote a newspaper feature story on these trees and adapted it for BostonZest, here's a link.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Birthday or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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June 24, 2013
Generous Gardeners Share the Wealth – Photo of the Week

This Cranesbill Geranium creates a beautiful ground cover that flowers in spring. You see the plant popping up in more than a few Back Bay gardens. This is, in part, because generous local gardeners share plants with others as they thin or redesign their own gardens.

Sometimes, on our walks along Marlborough Street, we'll see plants sitting outside a front yard with a sign that says, "free plants." Other times, a veteran gardener like Susan Juretschke will move plants from one garden to another as she tries to find the spot where they will thrive.

Gardeners are genererous people. We once lived next door to a gentleman we called the "Phantom Farmer" because we could arrive home from work to find a bag of garden fresh produce hanging on our doorknob.

This photo was selected for the covershot in this week's Back Bay Sun.

You can read some of the stories at the newspaper's website www.backbaysun.com and download a copy of the paper by clicking on the "Full Print Edition" icon in the left hand column. The new issue is usually on the website by Wednesday of each week.

Disclosure: The Independent Newspaper Group, owner of 12 local papers: Back Bay Sun, Beacon Hill Times, Charlestown Patriot-Bridge, Chelsea Record, East Boston Times Free Press, Everett Independent, Jamaica Plain Gazette, Lynn Journal, Mission Hill Gazette, North End Regional Review, Revere Journal, The Logan Times, and Winthrop Sun Transcript. This company is one of our freelance clients and you'll see our photographs, columns, and articles in their publications.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Birthday or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 22, 2013
Generous Gardeners Share the Wealth – Photo of the Week

This Cranesbill Geranium creates a beautiful ground cover that flowers in spring. You see the plant popping up in more than a few Back Bay gardens. This is, in part, because generous local gardeners share plants with others as they thin or redesign their own gardens.

Sometimes, on our walks along Marlborough Street, we'll see plants sitting outside a front yard with a sign that says, "free plants." Other times, a veteran gardener like Susan Juretschke will move plants from one garden to another as she tries to find the spot where they will thrive.

Gardeners are genererous people. We once lived next door to a gentleman we called the "Phantom Farmer" because we could arrive home from work to find a bag of garden fresh produce hanging on our doorknob.

This photo was selected for the covershot in this week's Back Bay Sun.

You can read some of the stories at the newspaper's website www.backbaysun.com and download a copy of the paper by clicking on the "Full Print Edition" icon in the left hand column. The new issue is usually on the website by Wednesday of each week.

Disclosure: The Independent Newspaper Group, owner of 12 local papers: Back Bay Sun, Beacon Hill Times, Charlestown Patriot-Bridge, Chelsea Record, East Boston Times Free Press, Everett Independent, Jamaica Plain Gazette, Lynn Journal, Mission Hill Gazette, North End Regional Review, Revere Journal, The Logan Times, and Winthrop Sun Transcript. This company is one of our freelance clients and you'll see our photographs, columns, and articles in their publications.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Birthday or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 22, 2013
Generous Gardeners Share the Wealth – Photo of the Week

This Cranesbill Geranium creates a beautiful ground cover that flowers in spring. You see the plant popping up in more than a few Back Bay gardens. This is, in part, because generous local gardeners share plants with others as they thin or redesign their own gardens.

Sometimes, on our walks along Marlborough Street, we'll see plants sitting outside a front yard with a sign that says, "free plants." Other times, a veteran gardener like Susan Juretschke will move plants from one garden to another as she tries to find the spot where they will thrive.

Gardeners are genererous people. We once lived next door to a gentleman we called the "Phantom Farmer" because we could arrive home from work to find a bag of garden fresh produce hanging on our doorknob.

This photo was selected for the covershot in this week's Back Bay Sun.

You can read some of the stories at the newspaper's website www.backbaysun.com and download a copy of the paper by clicking on the "Full Print Edition" icon in the left hand column. The new issue is usually on the website by Wednesday of each week.

Disclosure: The Independent Newspaper Group, owner of 12 local papers: Back Bay Sun, Beacon Hill Times, Charlestown Patriot-Bridge, Chelsea Record, East Boston Times Free Press, Everett Independent, Jamaica Plain Gazette, Lynn Journal, Mission Hill Gazette, North End Regional Review, Revere Journal, The Logan Times, and Winthrop Sun Transcript. This company is one of our freelance clients and you'll see our photographs, columns, and articles in their publications.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Birthday or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 22, 2013
At The Market: Strawberry Season!

The scent of strawberries is in the air at local farmers' markets, this week, and shoppers all seem to have a basket or two or three among their selections. We captured our friend Bob Oppenheim buying his berrys at the Atlas Farm Stand during Tuesday's Copley Square market.

We purchased these beauties from Hamiltion Orchards. Is it possible for berries to have terroir? Whatever the secret, Barbara Hamilton and her crew grow some delicious berries. We ask her every market when her blueberries will be coming.

If pick-your-own is on your agenda, you can start checking your favorite places to see if they've opened their strawberry fields for the season.

The big displays of garden plants are slowly being replaced with harvested greens and vegetables. If you are thinking of adding some herbs to your life, this is the time to buy the plants.

In Season, Right Now!

Strawberries, hakurei turnips, fennel, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic scrapes, salad mix, lettuce, arugula, radishes, beets, scallions, kolrabi, rhubarb, bok choi, chard, small onions with green tops, snap peas, sweet peas, herbs, hot house tomatoes, and honey. Plus, you'll find annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Green garlic, garlic scrapes, pea tendrils – many farms will stop bring plants to market when they have enough produce to fill their stands.

Coming Soon!

After strawberry season comes blueberry season. I start looking for the first blues about July 4th.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

We heard talk about some early hothouse tomatoes. Curtis Stillman said Stillman's Farm would soon have kale and their first peas.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 20, 2013
At The Market: Strawberry Season!

The scent of strawberries is in the air at local farmers' markets, this week, and shoppers all seem to have a basket or two or three among their selections. We captured our friend Bob Oppenheim buying his berrys at the Atlas Farm Stand during Tuesday's Copley Square market.

We purchased these beauties from Hamiltion Orchards. Is it possible for berries to have terroir? Whatever the secret, Barbara Hamilton and her crew grow some delicious berries. We ask her every market when her blueberries will be coming.

If pick-your-own is on your agenda, you can start checking your favorite places to see if they've opened their strawberry fields for the season.

The big displays of garden plants are slowly being replaced with harvested greens and vegetables. If you are thinking of adding some herbs to your life, this is the time to buy the plants.

In Season, Right Now!

Strawberries, hakurei turnips, fennel, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic scrapes, salad mix, lettuce, arugula, radishes, beets, scallions, kolrabi, rhubarb, bok choi, chard, small onions with green tops, snap peas, sweet peas, herbs, hot house tomatoes, and honey. Plus, you'll find annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Green garlic, garlic scrapes, pea tendrils – many farms will stop bring plants to market when they have enough produce to fill their stands.

Coming Soon!

After strawberry season comes blueberry season. I start looking for the first blues about July 4th.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

We heard talk about some early hothouse tomatoes. Curtis Stillman said Stillman's Farm would soon have kale and their first peas.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 20, 2013
At The Market: Strawberry Season!

The scent of strawberries is in the air at local farmers' markets, this week, and shoppers all seem to have a basket or two or three among their selections. We captured our friend Bob Oppenheim buying his berrys at the Atlas Farm Stand during Tuesday's Copley Square market.

We purchased these beauties from Hamiltion Orchards. Is it possible for berries to have terroir? Whatever the secret, Barbara Hamilton and her crew grow some delicious berries. We ask her every market when her blueberries will be coming.

If pick-your-own is on your agenda, you can start checking your favorite places to see if they've opened their strawberry fields for the season.

The big displays of garden plants are slowly being replaced with harvested greens and vegetables. If you are thinking of adding some herbs to your life, this is the time to buy the plants.

In Season, Right Now!

Strawberries, hakurei turnips, fennel, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic scrapes, salad mix, lettuce, arugula, radishes, beets, scallions, kolrabi, rhubarb, bok choi, chard, small onions with green tops, snap peas, sweet peas, herbs, hot house tomatoes, and honey. Plus, you'll find annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Green garlic, garlic scrapes, pea tendrils – many farms will stop bring plants to market when they have enough produce to fill their stands.

Coming Soon!

After strawberry season comes blueberry season. I start looking for the first blues about July 4th.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

We heard talk about some early hothouse tomatoes. Curtis Stillman said Stillman's Farm would soon have kale and their first peas.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 20, 2013
Summer 2013 Boston Hazardous Waste Collection, Coming Soon!

The City of Boston has announced the 2013 Household Hazardous Waste collection dates with June 22nd and June 29th next on the list.

It's time to clean out under sinks, storage areas, and garages and remove all those unwanted hazards from your home.

Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 from 9am to 2pm

University of Massachusetts-Boston Harbor Campus, Parking lot D, Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester (Map)

Saturday, June 29th, 2013 from 9am to 2pm

West Roxbury Public Works Yard, 315 Gardner Street, West Roxbury (Map)

Here are highlights of the city's published guidelines from their Hazardous Waste page:

For a complete list of acceptable materials, download the flyer here.

For Boston residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. Proof of residency required. The City reserves the right to reject materials. For more information call 617-635-4500.

TVs & Computer Monitors

TVs & computer monitors are NOT accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days. Please call 617-635-4500 for curbside pickup of TVs and computer monitors.

Latex Paint

The city says, "(Latex paint is not hazardous. Latex paint can be disposed of with your regular trash. Any paint left in can MUST be completely dried before putting out with trash.)"

Get rid of the junk, and then don't bring more of it back into your home.

Clean out under your sink, your cleaning closet, gardening shed, garage, and storage areas. Once your home is free from toxic, flammable, and other dangerous materials, learn how to avoid bringing more of this stuff back into your life.

Here are three great books to help you change your hazardous ways.

And, remember, when you start any of your Amazon shopping from here, you support BostonZest and keep information like this flowing your way.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Screenshot: From City of Boston website

June 19, 2013
Summer 2013 Boston Hazardous Waste Collection, Coming Soon!

The City of Boston has announced the 2013 Household Hazardous Waste collection dates with June 22nd and June 29th next on the list.

It's time to clean out under sinks, storage areas, and garages and remove all those unwanted hazards from your home.

Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 from 9am to 2pm

University of Massachusetts-Boston Harbor Campus, Parking lot D, Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester (Map)

Saturday, June 29th, 2013 from 9am to 2pm

West Roxbury Public Works Yard, 315 Gardner Street, West Roxbury (Map)

Here are highlights of the city's published guidelines from their Hazardous Waste page:

For a complete list of acceptable materials, download the flyer here.

For Boston residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. Proof of residency required. The City reserves the right to reject materials. For more information call 617-635-4500.

TVs & Computer Monitors

TVs & computer monitors are NOT accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days. Please call 617-635-4500 for curbside pickup of TVs and computer monitors.

Latex Paint

The city says, "(Latex paint is not hazardous. Latex paint can be disposed of with your regular trash. Any paint left in can MUST be completely dried before putting out with trash.)"

Get rid of the junk, and then don't bring more of it back into your home.

Clean out under your sink, your cleaning closet, gardening shed, garage, and storage areas. Once your home is free from toxic, flammable, and other dangerous materials, learn how to avoid bringing more of this stuff back into your life.

Here are three great books to help you change your hazardous ways.

And, remember, when you start any of your Amazon shopping from here, you support BostonZest and keep information like this flowing your way.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Screenshot: From City of Boston website

June 19, 2013
Summer 2013 Boston Hazardous Waste Collection, Coming Soon!

The City of Boston has announced the 2013 Household Hazardous Waste collection dates with June 22nd and June 29th next on the list.

It's time to clean out under sinks, storage areas, and garages and remove all those unwanted hazards from your home.

Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 from 9am to 2pm

University of Massachusetts-Boston Harbor Campus, Parking lot D, Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester (Map)

Saturday, June 29th, 2013 from 9am to 2pm

West Roxbury Public Works Yard, 315 Gardner Street, West Roxbury (Map)

Here are highlights of the city's published guidelines from their Hazardous Waste page:

For a complete list of acceptable materials, download the flyer here.

For Boston residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. Proof of residency required. The City reserves the right to reject materials. For more information call 617-635-4500.

TVs & Computer Monitors

TVs & computer monitors are NOT accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days. Please call 617-635-4500 for curbside pickup of TVs and computer monitors.

Latex Paint

The city says, "(Latex paint is not hazardous. Latex paint can be disposed of with your regular trash. Any paint left in can MUST be completely dried before putting out with trash.)"

Get rid of the junk, and then don't bring more of it back into your home.

Clean out under your sink, your cleaning closet, gardening shed, garage, and storage areas. Once your home is free from toxic, flammable, and other dangerous materials, learn how to avoid bringing more of this stuff back into your life.

Here are three great books to help you change your hazardous ways.

And, remember, when you start any of your Amazon shopping from here, you support BostonZest and keep information like this flowing your way.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Screenshot: From City of Boston website

June 19, 2013