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A Year at Brandywine Cottage: Book Review
It’s the middle of January, and I’m hungry for spring. Spring won’t come for another couple of months in my climate, so I whet my appetite with inspirational gardening books. One of my favorites is...
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My New Fave Winter Bloomer
The purpose of houseplants (in winter) is to ameliorate the effects of cabin fever. The best houseplants for this purpose grow fast enough that you can see changes from day to day, and they also...
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Forcing Branches
Forcing branches of flowering shrubs and trees is a skill I try to get better at every year–it’s another way to hurry spring up. Compared to last year, this winter has been more consistently snowy and...
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Have you considered a broadfork?
I decided on a broadfork in a roundabout way. I was rooting pink pussy willow cuttings and wanted to give them a cushy home for a few years before planting them in their wilder, permantent location. I...
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Binge-watching Gardeners’ World: A guide for U.S.-based cold-climate gardeners
The holidays are over. Seeds have been ordered (or not–I decided to take a break from seed sowing). The temperature is dropping (-5°F tonight) and the wind is blowing (wind chill advisory in effect)....
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This Garden Art Is For The Birds, And It Needs Your Help
I first saw these architectural birdhouses several years ago, in the grocery store, of all places. I resisted them until they went on sale, and then I couldn’t resist at all. It’s the details in these...
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A Drone’s-Eye View Of My Garden
My son has a drone camera and captured these images of our home and landscape in January. It’s always nice to get a different view of the garden. I’ve numbered various features of note and linked to...
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Mud Season Pruning Chores
Pruning is the only gardening chore you can do in mud season, because your plants (and the weeds!) are still frozen in the ground. It’s a great excuse to get outside and do something–actual gardening!...
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January Thaw Walk-About
The weather’s been crazy, to put it mildly. I know most of the country has endured similar: a thaw the week before Christmas, a sudden drop to unseasonably frigid temperatures, and (once everyone’s...
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The Great Garden Rescue
Moving Plants Out of Harm’s Way Before Construction Starts A year ago last March, I learned that renovations were planned for our home. The kitchen was going to be bumped out onto the deck, so that it...
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