A DIFFERENT STRIPE Most of the time I lead a rather dull life, and I like it that way. There are days, of course, when I throw caution to the winds and eat shredded wheat instead of toast for breakfast. There are other days when I go for a walk at noon instead of first thing in the morning. But […]
There are some people for whom a rose is a rose. I am not one of them. There are some people who get tired of taking care of roses. I am not one of them either. I think it is safe to say that if I could gaze at ‘Buff Beauty’ in full bloom each morning, I would be quite […]
The fact is, I am short. Not extremely short, but short enough so that I require the assistance of a step stool or an obliging tall person to reach high shelves. If I were a garden plant, I would be a good mid-border specimen—not tall enough to dominate the back and not short enough to use as an edger. I […]
Trend spotters undoubtedly know it already, but I have just discovered a new and immutable truth—there’s gold in rust. Of course, I am familiar with rust—the shed at our summer cottage is full of rusty implements from my grandfather’s time.We still use them, but I know that if we ever decide to buy something new, we can sell our ancient […]
When I was growing up, my father’s friend, Richard Pastecki, grew lots of eggplant. He did not eat them grilled or in salads, and it would never have occurred to him to use them in something as unfamiliar as ratatouille. Richard Pastecki raised eggplant for only one reason—Eggplant Parmesan. In the Pastecki household Eggplant Parmesan was taken very seriously. Richard’s […]
Common sense would dictate that I do not need any more garden beds to care for. This does not stop me, addict that I am, from having an insatiable desire to create new planting schemes. In fact, my affliction is so bad that I sometimes look covetously at my neighbor’s more generous acreage and dream of what I could do […]
The short, gray days of winter in the north, coupled with snow, often create landscapes that resemble a black and white photo. Winter landscapes need not be drab and dreary and can have color, by choosing plants for interesting bark. One of my favorite shrubs for its bright red stems is the Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea). For even better color than […]
Bedding plants are the answer to a gardener’s prayer for instant color and faster growth in a summer flower garden. With our short growing season, why wait for seeds to sprout and plants to grow when you can achieve the same end result–and a lot quicker–with bedding plants? “Bedding plant” is the industry’s term for a young plant that has […]
If you’re wondering what gardening tasks to perform in October, first you need to understand your gardening zone. Now you understand your gardening zone, below defines the tasks to perform for your garden. Zone 1 Finish planting container-grown trees and shrubs Plant needle-bearing evergreens early in the month If the month is dry, repeat the September soaking Check ties on […]
Your transplanting success will increase if you’ll observe a few simple rules that take into account the plants’ needs. Basic as they are, simple as they may seem, they are still the fundamentals around which successful transplanting is built, so follow them and give the plants the best of care following their transfer. These are the general rules. Those which have […]