Was it just a few years ago that tomato crops were struck by a late blight, devastating the harvest for many home gardeners? Those gardeners who weren’t permanently scarred by the experience and have ventured back “into the water” were … Read Article
Division is one of the easiest ways to propagate perennials. It’s also a life-saving measure for some plants that need to be divided periodically for the health of the plant. (Irises, coreopses and Shasta daisies will eventually die if they’re … Read Article
The day I visited Storm King Art Center, landscape architect and consultant Darrel Morrison led a group of us on a tour of the native meadow grasses that are so much a part of this world-famous sculpture park in the Hudson … Read Article
The final weeks of the Open Days program of The Garden Conservancy are in September and October. I always find inspiration visiting the private gardens of top-notch gardeners and garden designers in my area. Last weekend I visited the home of Margaret Roach, “A Way … Read Article
Prize-winning carved pumpkin at The New York Botanical Garden We decided to grow pumpkins this year. I discovered there is a reason that pumpkins are usually grown on farms and in “pumpkin patches.” Pumpkin vines ask for a sizable swath … Read Article
Most plants that we call “annuals” are actually tender perennials that can’t survive winters in colder climates. We treat them like annuals, cast them on the compost heap in the fall and buy new ones the following spring.
Last summer I cut a few seedheads off the lupin plants in front of the island cottage in Maine. I collected the seeds and took them home with me. Lupin seeds have a hard shell so it’s important to soak … Read Article
“Lettuce by Land Carrots by Sea” reads the logo on the paper bags at the floating farmers market on our little island in Maine. Every Saturday morning at 11 on the dot, a boat from Mitchell Ledge Farm in Freeport … Read Article
If you live near the sea there is an abundant and sustainable source of mulch and fertilizer right at your feet. When we are on our island we carry a few handfuls of seaweed to the garden beds every time … Read Article
With the growth in edible gardening, blueberries and other fruits have become increasingly popular in gardens. I received a gift of a blueberry bush (Vaccinium chippewa) from my brother Jon for my birthday last month. Knowing that birds like to … Read Article
If you have an area in your yard that is always a little wet, like I do, you can grow Salix integra, my favorite willow. My variety is ‘Hakuro nishiki’. This plant is practically indestructible. Easy to grow, easy to … Read Article