The Gardeners' Apprentice BRENTHURST Last summer, for the first time in years, I had the pleasure of regular hummingbird visits. A single tiny bird came by every afternoon to sip nectar from the butterfly bush and other plants in my upper back garden. Its route always seemed to be the same, and it never strayed into … Read more
SPRING BREEZES We have had so much wind this year that spring didn’t just arrive; it blew in with a vengeance. Of course all those blustery gusts might also have been winter blowing its way out–only a meteorologist would know for sure. One thing does seem certain–if the gales keep up, the robins and … Read more
BEARDTONGUE One of the wonderful things about being a gardener is that you get to fall in love with different plant species and varieties as often as you want. Successful relationships can last a lifetime. Less successful pairings are easily ended with cheap divorces that frequently involve the compost pile. Some gardeners are monogamous, … Read more
BOOK REVIEW: BEAUTIFUL MADNESS Veteran writer James Dodson used to have a single passion–golf. As a golf writer, he also had a dream job, traveling the world to interview golfers and play the great courses. But when the North Carolina-born Dodson and his wife bought a piece of property in Maine over twenty-five … Read more
COMPANION PLANTING The practice of companion planting has been going on for centuries. Now that everything green is chic again, it’s fashionable once more. It’s easy, can produce excellent results and often reduces or eliminates the need for pesticides. Companion planting simply means pairing or grouping different kinds of plants that perform beneficial … Read more
