Cutting Garden – Annuals

  • Post published:04/25/2015
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I have always dreamed about having a cutting garden that would enable me to give out endless bouquets to all my friends. One good thing about a cutting garden is that it is not designed to look beautiful in any organized way. A cutting garden has no other design purpose except to give each plant room to breathe. That means flowers can be planted in rows without consideration of whether they will clash with the other flowers around…

Coltsfoot, Not Dandelions in April

  • Post published:04/22/2015
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Coltsfoot, properly known as Tussilago farfara, has other names like horse foot, foal's foot and bull's foot all referring to the shape of the plant's leaves which will not appear for a while yet. Another name for Coltsfoot is Coughwort because of its use as an antitussive, a remedy for throat irritation and coughs. In both China and Europe it has been used in medicines for all kinds of respiratory complaints. I have a cough but I have…

Epic Tomatoes by Craig LeHoullier

  • Post published:04/19/2015
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Tomatoes are the most popular fruit in the world. First grown by the Aztecs and Incas around 700 AD, they spread to Europe in the late 16th century and are now grown all around the world. There aren’t too many tomatoes used in dishes at your local Chinese restaurant, so it may come as a surprise that China grows and consumes more tomatoes than any other country. Still it is not so surprising when you consider that China…

Thomas Affleck – A Mighty Rose

  • Post published:04/15/2015
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Thomas Affleck is not blooming yet, but I did clean out the Herb Bed where this rose is the western anchor. It looks like it came through our horrendous winter well. All that deep snow was a blessing for many plants. Chives and parsley and marjoram are showing new growth, but I am going to have to wait a while more the roses to bloom. Thomas Affleck came from the Antique Rose Emporium where many of my most…

First Garden Day – First Pass Over the Herb Bed

  • Post published:04/14/2015
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The first garden day came on Sunday when temperatures rose to 60 degrees. The Herb Garden in front of the house has been clear of snow for about a week but there has been no sun, only grey skies and lots of wind. You can see that I did not cut everything back in the fall. I only made the first pass, so it doesn't look new garden bed neat, but everything is cut down, raked out, and…

Considering Small Blooming Trees

  • Post published:04/12/2015
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Blooming trees are an important part of our domestic landscape, giving it substance as well as beauty. Planting a blooming tree requires more thought than planting a perennial or pots of annuals. A tree cannot be moved at will. No matter what we plant in our garden we have to consider the site, sun or shade, and we have to consider the growth rate and the ultimate size of the plant. With a tree these considerations become even…

Iced April – View from the bedroom window

  • Post published:04/10/2015
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The view from the bedroom window shows a world iced with crystal and shrouded in mist. I love taking photos of this yellow birch in the west field. So mysterious shrouded in fog. I didn't worry about all the perennials buried under three feet of snow all during the frigid month of February, but ice on the weeping cherry is definitely a worry. I wonder how the wisteria feels about all the ice. Probably not happy.

Little Bulbs – Early Spring Bloomers

  • Post published:04/07/2015
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The Little Bubs are the earliest to bloom.  This collection is crocus and Glory-of-the-Snow, otherwise know as Chionodoxa will be blooming on the Bridge of Flowers any minute.  I have Glory-of-the-Snow down by the vegetable garden, still covered by snow. Crocus and Chionodoxa  and deer and rodent resistant, and both will increase over time. Most of my snowdrops are also still under the snow, but temperatures got to 50 degrees today, so I think they will emerge from…

Water in the Garden

  • Post published:04/03/2015
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For years putting water in the garden was a problem for me. Beverley Nichols was one of my favorite authors when I was younger and spent a lot of time reading English garden books. He is wonderfully witty (the British are never merely funny) and I can certainly identify with many of his adventures with plants, and other gardeners. I did take against one thing he said with great energy which was that a good garden required water.…

View from the Bedroom Window – March 2015

  • Post published:04/01/2015
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February ended cold, and March began cold. 10 degrees at 7 am on March 2. The fountain juniper is almost completely covered. More snow yesterday, but warmer temperatures - over freezing. Temperatures are staying at freezing or below - but the fountain juniper  begins to reveal itself.  The only place to find color is at the Smith College Spring Bulb show. More sun, but still freezing temperatures. And yet melting - or subliming - continues.  "Sublime  verb -…