I used to mope over the advance of fall, as I contemplated life without my garden flowers, the restorative time spent gardening, and the bouquets that I pick for my house. I grew morose, plucking up as many roses as possible when hard frost threatened and generally carrying on as if horticultural Armageddon was just … Read more
Labor Day is long past, and we are officially in early fall, gardening’s “second season”. In most places, September and early October are a great time for outdoor work. Plants that go into the ground now have a good chance of establishing roots before cold weather sets in, giving them a head start on next … Read more
The south side of my property between the front and back gardens has always been the weakest link in the landscape. Next to the house, four tall English hollies dominate the scene. I am sure they were lovely shrubs when they were planted by the previous owner. By the time I arrived, they had grown … Read more
Are there parts of your garden, home, or life that leave you perennially dissatisfied? Do those same sources of dissatisfaction get ignored because the presses of business, leisure or ordinary disinclination get in the way? If the answer to any of the above is “yes”, we have something in common. I am ignoring the uncomfortable … Read more
As they say in the movies, “We have a situation.” The situation in question is on the south side of my house, which is dark, dank and completely lacking in charm. I don’t like it and neither do the plants that live there. It has to be rectified. The relatively narrow area between the side … Read more
