A perfect storm of circumstance ended in a coffee-filled rant on Facebook on Friday, and while I stand by those words (many of which were capitalized, and none of which were sensitive), it is convenient to have the luxury of a newspaper column to formulate a more civilized, if no less provocative, response. The topic [...]
The wind storms of late have added substantially to workloads out here. I’d only just finished with the last of the planting when toppled pots forced me to dig two large holes yesterday to house now homeless dwarf arborvitae. I resented every minute of it – not least of all because there are two far [...]
There are few persons more strident as those who have once loved a thing only to turn their backs upon it, unless of course it is those who have hated, and now love with equal fervor. In time, both groups will suffer the well-deserved jabs of those who knew them before their evangelization, but such [...]
Well, it’s happened. The leaves are more or less gone and it looks like winter out there. A friend writes on social media “‘Tis bitter cold. And I am sick at heart.” – though he might be referring to something else entirely. I myself am in a Midsummer Night’s Dream frame of mind, thinking more [...]
It’s a bit disconcerting to find ourselves here again, at the end of the season, facing winter and wondering where the months have gone. Photo credit: Kelly Fowler We're all dealing with it differently. Some of us will continue to grow lettuces in hoop houses hastily constructed over raised beds, while others will [...]
A bit of research work has had me at my books lately, looking up optimal growing conditions for several plants and making notes for spring purchases. It has taken me years to successfully grow poppies, or rather, for seeds to find the right conditions in which to flourish. However, even at half-strength they have [...]
It’s harvest season. Even those who don’t harvest anything more than a cereal box off a shelf know that autumn means decorative berries. But did you know it also can also mean the brightness of autumn-blooming bulbs? Let’s finish this series on the fall garden (both online and off) with a few suggestions for both. [...]
Continuing with the theme of possibilities for your autumn garden – I’d like to take your eyes off the flowers for a moment and focus them squarely on foliage – a forgotten area for too many gardeners, no matter what the season. Another stunning Chanticleer foliage combination. Not completely hardy, but completely gorgeous until [...]
What’s working in your autumn garden right now? If you’re shrugging and pointing to a top heavy mum that’s got more juice running through its veins than a Russian weightlifter, you’re on the wrong track. I’m asking what’s working. Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' at Chanticleer Garden Perhaps I should ask, what’s working in the [...]
There is an end to every good party and thankfully, every bad one, but whichever one your garden has taken you to this year, it’s time to start hunting for your coat and keys. Rugosa alba hips redden on a brilliant yellow backdrop You might have exited early – wearied by the interminable [...]
September is bringing cool, early morning breezes to the garden which invite a bit of work – albeit under the pretext of slipping outside for a wander with coffee in hand. Lower humidity levels have also been gifted to us, quite possibly making it an actual crime to go inside when life has finally returned [...]
“WHAT are you wearing?!?” I was asked this the other day by a friend who dropped by to find me clothed in some terrible mixture of camisole and cargo short paired with heavy boots. I wasn’t winning fashion awards, but such is my summertime garden wardrobe and I told her so – explaining why sandals [...]
In every home there is a place where unfolded laundry is thrown and a week’s worth of junk is shoved when guests rap upon the door unexpectedly. For some lucky souls it may be a spare room. For others it might be a more traditional space like a basement, garage, attic, or even a cupboard [...]
A warm wet autumn means lots of mushroom foraging. Here oyster mushrooms & wood ears, destined for a stir fry. Boy we’ve had it good this season. A fall season that doesn’t just tempt, but delivers on a promise is a rare and precious thing, and I have wrung every bit of loveliness [...]
A front-and-center garden puts artwork on display and invites accolades or criticism. I've got nothing but accolades for this Oregon homeowner. Designing a garden is a humbling experience, period. But when your design is instantly on display because you are planting an entrance or a driveway, it’s a worrying experience. And, [...]
Whether it’s back to school, back to sports, back to work or back-to-back holidays, autumn can get a little crazy. At the same time our schedules are exploding, there’s tons to be done in the garden, and less in the way of daylight hours to manage it all. If you, like me, are solely concentrated [...]
There are a lot of hydrangeas out there. A lot. In fact as far as I’m concerned, too many. This is of course, no surprise – it’s a highly appealing shrub that even non-gardeners want to grow. And if you hurry, there’s still time to pop a few into the ground before the [...]
By the beginning of September, many gardeners are thinking about next year’s garden. Whatever failures have been experienced this year – whatever insults have been suffered – all are erased by a killing frost and the ability to start again. I am just as guilty of the sweet pleasures of delusional thinking, but there is [...]
Recently, I was fortunate to participate in a panel discussion about eating well on a tight budget. Though I love good, wholesome food and beautiful things, I am, and have always been, a self-proclaimed cheapskate. Compliment me on my brushed camel coat and a demure smile is the last thing to settle upon [...]
The autumn show-stopper, A. hubrectii backed by viburnum and thuja The maples and oaks began to blush red in the woodlands last week, following hot on the heels of the tulip poplars and hickory that populate our hillsides and dominate the color scheme with rust and gold. With this final act, [...]
