Climate chaos has some hard lessons for earth-friendly gardeners, not least about embracing change – and rejoicing in the upsides where we can. Having invested much time and energy over the past 30 or so years in thinking and writing about how gardening can make the world a better, safer, saner, fairer and more beautiful […]
Winter is settling in. The last roses, which lingered almost until Thanksgiving, have been blasted by a couple of cold nights. Trees are gray and bare, their colorful leaves fallen. The busyness of gardening, such a powerful balm and refuge in this difficult year, has come to an end. All is bare and still. But […]
I’ve been picking up a lot of leaves lately, so many that when I close my eyes I see orange beech leaves in my subconscious. I even dream of orange beech leaves, because there are several mature beech trees close to Spring Cottage and they usually chose to drop their leaves on me. You can […]
Getting your first greenhouse can be very exciting, but it can also make you a bit apprehensive when you realize there may be more to greenhouse gardening than you initially thought. Where will I get enough plants to fill my new greenhouse? And what kinds of plants are best suited to it? Should I worry […]
We have a new salad box in the greenhouse, and it is proving productive even as the temperature is dropping. I am pleased. The box was not put in for this purpose and in fact my husband hammered it together at the beginning of the summer and then filled it with multiple bags of compost […]
‘Laxton’s Orange Pippin’, ‘Worcester Pearmain’, ‘Arthur Turner’, ‘Oxheart’ just a few of the named antique apple varieties that grew in my English garden. A neighbor gave the young trees to me when we arrived in the village; he’d grafted them from his own orchard trees, ones planted by his father when he returned to farming […]
With winter approaching it’s time to take another look at your garden and greenhouse to see what edibles you can grow and harvest in winter Gardening as a beginner can be very daunting without some expert guidance. Spring and summer are the natural time to sow, grow and harvest fruit and vegetables. But, with winter […]
I’m always on the hunt for fresh greens for my salad bowl as the skies in the Pacific Northwest turn to autumn gray. But this year, I’ve discovered some new (to me) perennial greens that will carry on all winter in a greenhouse or in a bright south-facing window. I’m talking with Sam Hubert, the […]
As the seasons change and the leaves fall the skeleton of our gardens comes alive with the sound and movement of garden birds. And it’s beautiful. Spend some time in the garden and really tune in to the birds. You might be amazed at what you find. Some birds arrive from far distant shores to […]
Not often considered a worthy greenhouse subject the humble potato can actually be a rather rewarding crop. Really freshly dug new potatoes are delicious. Much better than those from out of store, or even those just dug a few days before. Well with a frost free greenhouse you can already be eating your own new […]
It is time to sow sweet peas in a cool greenhouse for an early display next year. Soften the seed coat by putting the seeds between two layers of kitchen towel on an old plate. Dampen the towel, drain off excess water, sow those that start to swell or sprout after about 48 hours. Leave […]
My neighbor has set up a gigantic, animated witch balloon (Halloween decorating seems to have escalated this year). Meanwhile, I’ve set up a sprinkler. Deep in October, with the first hard freeze due any day, most people are done with gardening, apart from raking leaves. But I’m still busy with the hose. Why on earth? […]
