Edibles on the Way

EDIBLES ON THE WAY             My goal this year is to incorporate edibles among my ornamentals and the plan is beginning to take shape.  Today I set out an entire flat of June bearing strawberry plants in two separate sunny beds.  Since strawberries and roses favor the same conditions, I put the latter near a … Read more

Take It Easy

TAKE IT EASY             I was out in the garden today–planting, weeding, trimming and rearranging things.  Just as I was about to divide a large clump of grape hyacinths, I became aware of the unmistakable sound of the Eagles singing the refrain of one of their best-known songs: “Take it easy, take it easy. Don’t … Read more

Eastern Europe

TREASURES OF EASTERN EUROPE             A couple of years ago I was looking for a large-flowered clematis for my garden.  Paging through various catalogs, I noticed a lot of clematis named after famous Poles.  One of the most notable was ‘Cardinal Wyszynski’, a large, red-flowered variety, named after Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, former Roman Catholic Primate … Read more

Book Review: Beautiful Madness

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

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