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 […]
FRESH ROSES – Gardening
LONG TALL SALIX
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 […]
FAUX FINISHES
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 […]
FRESH VEGGIES – Gardening
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. […]
Mixed Blessings
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 […]
Transplanting guide for all gardeners
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 […]
PEACHY KEEN
Standing in the middle of my back garden, I am immediately struck by two things: the number of weeds in every bed, and the constant singing of birds in neighboring trees. Usually I ignore the weeds (at least until I […]
In Praise Of Paperwhites
The longer I garden, the more I think that I need a little gardening every day. This can be as little as ten minutes spent raking leaves or tending the houseplants or reading a good garden book. In a pinch […]
Container Gardening
Container gardening makes it possible to have a garden where plants wouldn’t otherwise take root and gives those of us without a “real” garden a chance to flex our green thumbs! A balcony or deck can be easily transformed into […]
ON THE WILD SIDE
At least once a week I meet someone who says, “I want wildflowers in my garden.” This desire for wildflowers is especially pronounced in the suburbs, where even the skunks are semi-domesticated. Wildflowers are admirable in home gardens, but before […]