Category: Gardening

Seed catalogs are competing for space in my mailbox, slowly but surely outweighing holiday retail campaigns. Seed surfing is one of the great garden pleasures enjoyed in cold, wet winter months. This past Saturday, when it seemed the rain just wouldn’t stop, I curled up with my cat in a big armchair and drifted off… Continue reading How to Order Seeds for Next Summer’s Garden

Monarch butterflies are one of the most fascinating species around. They’re the only insects to migrate to warmer climates, or hibernate through winter. Each year, 1000’s of butterflies travel 2,500 miles from Canada and the northern U.S. to Michoacan, Mexico. Miraculously, they return to the same forest year after year. The success of their migration… Continue reading Help Needed for Monarch Butterflies and Other Pollinators

Making fresh yogurt at home is simple, green, and economical. Once you’ve tasted tangy, creamy home-made yogurt, it may be difficult to load your shopping cart with store-bought varieties. All you need is a half-gallon of milk, a heavy-bottomed pot, a food thermometer, and some yogurt culture. There are several commercial yogurt makers available, but… Continue reading How to Make Fresh Yogurt

Depending on how you look at it, warm February days are a tease, an opportunity, or a save the date for a great big party. Generally, it’s too muddy to garden or work the soil. It’s too soon to plant even the earliest crops. There will surely be another frost before April. Though basking in… Continue reading Late Winter Pruning Extravaganza

An investment in a healthy foundation means young sprouts will flourish: Trees planted in fall , if properly established, will adapt to soil conditions and produce enough root expansion to flourish in spring. Digging a proper hole is the most important factor in the transplant’s survival (assuming you’ve identified the right place for the plant,… Continue reading Dig a $50.00 hole for a $5.00 plant

Think Ahead Before Going Nuts With Pruners Brisk air and brown leaves beckon gardeners outdoors for one last chance to get our hands dirty before bedding down for winter. We’re tempted to hack spent branches, snip dry seedpods, and clear away all yard debris. Cool weather clean up promotes healthy spring growth; but a healthy… Continue reading Welcome Wildlife this Winter

Fresh Parsley Perks up Turkey and Sticks Around for Post-Thanksgiving Relief Parsley must be one of the most overlooked herbs around. I’m guilty of forgetting about it, until the first frost kills off every other late-season green, and there it stands, proud and bright against a desolate backdrop. Parsley is one of the hardiest herbs… Continue reading Parsley: The Pre- and Post-Thanksgiving Panacea

Fall is officially here. Shorter days and cooler nights take their toll on sun-loving crops, like tomatoes, okra, cucumbers and squash. Gardening in a small space means that when crops slow way down, it’s time for them to move out and make space for those that relish the current season. It’s always a sad day… Continue reading How to Use the Last of The Season’s Tomatoes

Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides that are widely used around the world. Initially, thought to be less damaging to birds and insects, large-scale scientific studies ultimately showed that the neonicotinoid residues absorbed by plant tissue infected pollen and nectar. Neonicotinoid use has been linked to honey bee colony collapse disorder, as well as die… Continue reading Take Action to Understand and Ban Neonicotinoids

In square-foot gardens, space is a premium. There’s simply no space to waste on dwindling crops, or those that just aren’t experiencing their best season. Knowing what to plant when is key, as is knowing what grows well in soil recently vacated by another plant. Beans are a near perfect crop. They: restore nitrogen to… Continue reading How to Harvest, Store, and Cook With Dried Beans