I have an echeveria that will most likely stay in the same pot forever. It is lovely, with big, plump, succulent leaves, and apparently healthy, enjoying its sunny spot in the dining room window. It drinks up about a tablespoon of water per week and requires little else. If it weren’t so attractive, I would … Read more
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
