This is the season when we begin the autumn assessment of our garden season – the weather, our schedules, our successes, the failures and the not-quite-what-I- expecteds. I went into spring chores with joy and high expectations, but there was a disaster – the weather. Spring took a long time coming but by April 1 there were primroses budding. There were occasional snowfalls, but we did not have as wet a garden as we had had the past…
Every year the UMass Extension creates a beautiful and useful calendar to teach, advise and remind us of our duties and opportunities all year long. COST: $14, bulk pricing is available on orders of 10 copies or more. Shipping is FREE on orders of 9 or fewer calendars - FREE SHIPPING ENDS NOV 1! FOR IMAGES IN THE CALENDAR, details, and ordering info, go to umassgardencalendar.org. The 2019 UMass Garden Calendar features the use of tomography to identify internal decay in trees. Many people also…
She Sheds like this one exhibit a very individual style. Two books, She Sheds Style and Upcycling Outdoors, have very different takes on creating stylish garden sheds and launching other projects for the garden. Every garden is unique because every gardener has different desires. Some gardeners want vegetable gardens, some want lots of flowers, some want art and glamour, and some want a practical fixture. Max Murdo is a gardener, and a thrifty handy man. He likes taking…
On this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day here in western Massachusetts I am ready to celebrate annuals - and others - who have survived the rains of this summer. Look at this sunny nasturtium - a volunteer from last year who swam happily this year through the summer. are always stalwart and shining. The bees love them and are grateful for their long season. There are a couple of other other potted (nameless) annuals that also keep us cheerful.…
“Inch by inch, row by row Gonna make this garden grow Gonna mulch it deep and low Gonna make it fertile ground” By David Mallett School gardens can be classed as one of the special classrooms in a school, offering fertile ground for children’s learning. In a school garden students of every age can learn to observe, learn about plant growth, about insects, about the life to be found in healthy soil, and much more. A school garden…
I missed Garden Bloggers Bloom Day in September because we were out of town for a few days. So now I am posting an early view of my garden - or perhaps I am just later. Either way, there was and is, still color as long as my 'Alma Potchke' aster is in bloom. No frost yet. Boltonia is a wonderful perennial blooming lushly and late in the season. Usually it doesn't need propping, but with all the…
Apples and pumpkins are everywhere singing of autumn. It was recently pointed out to me that apples and pumpkins have a lot in common – aside from both being emblematic of the season. Apples and pumpkins are both low calorie, health supporting foods. We all know the saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ but have we asked why this is so? What is it that makes apples delicious and healthy. Actually apples are mostly water,…