The poet Robert Browning wrote, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.” I am not sure about the “should”, but I do know that for most gardeners, “reach”—our visions and aspirations for the garden—will almost always exceed our “grasp”, which is what is actually attainable. This is never truer than in spring, when everything alive … Read more
I am not always wildly successful at growing plants from seeds. This is because, I don’t have a full-fledged seed-starting set-up indoors and I do have a full-time job. Excuses aside, I am much better at letting plants sow themselves outdoors and grubbing out the occasional unwanted seedlings. That method ensures that I can lavish … Read more
Life is full of rules. Some, like “no wearing white after Labor Day”, arrived via well-meaning mothers and grandmothers. Others are rules that we impose on ourselves. One of the garden rules that has lurked in the back of my mind forever is “geraniums belong in pots”. The geraniums I deal with most often are … Read more
I admit to a love/hate relationship with houseplants and I don’t need a psychologist to explain it. My deep-seated ambivalence stems from the fact that most of my houseplants are tropicals or tender plants that only cohabit with me during the cold weather months. When night temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they lounge on … Read more
Count on January to deliver uncertain winter weather, post-holiday doldrums and the bills for December extravagance. It also brings the moment gardeners have been waiting for—a chance to sit down with catalogs and websites and plan for the coming growing season. Snow days were meant for wallowing in horticultural daydreams, spending unlimited imaginary money, and … Read more
