Golden harbinger of spring
The winter aconite is always the first sign of spring in my garden in Great Barrington, even before the snowdrops, and definitely before the robins. The
Think Spring
The sign outside a shop said, "Think Spring," and I've been trying, by writing out a seed order and starting a garden to-do list. But my vanity took a hit when this week
Recommended: Doug Green’s garden newsletter
I learned about Doug when I bought a book on cold-climate rose growing, and now I look forward to his very personal and amusing newsletters, which come every Saturday morning (most impressive!) except for a brief hiatus now. If you garden anywhere but at the equator, I'm sure you'll find good ideas in Doug's books and articles, and enjoy his good humor. Here are some articles at DougGreensGarden.com that caught my eye this morning: Frugal Gardening
Upsides and downsides to native-plant gardening
While I still appreciate native species and have even used native honeysuckle colors on my newly painted house (there's no simply way to decorate than to work from nature: soft or vibrant, subtle or stunning color schemes are readily accessible). But since writing the paean below I have learned that they can be overwhelming, too. Not the way invasive species are overwhelming - where you watch them grow and fear for your life and house foundations. But once a native plant is really at home and happy you may find [...]
Constant Gardens for New York
I belonged to a community garden as a teenager in Palo Alto and had an allotment in London, so it's easy for me to see the story behind this story in the New York Times. Things don't always work perfectly between people, even in the garden. (Remember that the Biblical creation story is set in a garden?) While we start with good intentions and visions of melons and mesclun, other things can interfere--not only weather and weeds but work and domestic pressures. I remember, guiltily, the inconsistent attention I gave [...]