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
Cleaning up an overgrown garden is a little like a soap opera, complete with births, deaths, ambitious characters, opportunists, odd match-ups and thuggish intruders. As a gardener, you act as director and editor, generally simplifying the plot line, cleaning up messy situations, and making the whole more coherent. I did this recently with a garden … Read more
I was very excited recently to see a newspaper article entitled “How to get your garden spring ready in one weekend.” I was ready, the garden was more than ready, and frankly, I was looking for those magical tips and miraculous hacks that would condense the work of several weeks into one forty-eight hour period. … Read more
