Many of us in our area are still mourning the close of Blue Meadow Farm, a nursery that sold so many wonderful annuals and tender perennials as well as their sturdier relatives. Now they have come out with a beautiful and useful book published by Storey about overwintering all kinds of tender plants including bulbs and tubers.The book begins with a general discussion about gardening with tender perennials, both in the garden and in containers. The second section…

With all the snow and ice outside, the only gardening activity I can enjoy is reading garden books. A Child's Garden: 60 ideas to make any garden come alive for children by Molly Dannenmaier. My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Luppinaci, read Frances Hodgsen Burnett's The Secret Garden to us, and I don't know if the vision of that garden has ever left me. This beautifully illustrated book has lots of ideas for garden spaces that will entrance children…

William Cullina, director of horticultural research at New England Wildflower Society's Garden in the Woods in Framingham has just come out with the third book in his Native trilogy. This is an excellent reference book, but one that is so charming that it make frequent dips into it irresistible. The helpful and copious color photographs, many taken by Cullina himself, are easy to use and easy on the eye. From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave: Serene and Sensuous…

At this time of the year when the ground is covered with white snow, and yet the sun is brilliant and almost warm, the desire for something green growing in the earth is great. Even the sight of a weed would be cheering.Of course, it is the weeds that may be the first things that I notice when things start up in the spring. At least that is the way it usually is here at the End of…