At the back end of the year the plants that draw my eye at Spring Cottage, more than any other, are the grasses because low winter sunlight shows them off really well once most of the garden has faded. Some form beaded, gossamer veils and others are like strong punctation marks. Others swirl and curl, […]
Small yet highly effective tools can be the perfect gift for the holidays. When garden space is tight—like inside a greenhouse—this collection of scaled-down products will be appreciated. Or, put these miniature offerings on your own wish list if someone needs a hint about your preferences. Cobrahead Mini Weeder – Folks who use the regular […]
Suitable for the less attentive greenhouse gardener and amongst the toughest houseplants you can find are the many members of the Commelinaceae family mostly hailing from South America. Indeed you may once already have grown the trailing Wandering Jew as this is one of those rugged plants entrusted to children. However that is but one […]
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Open greenhouse vents for as long as possible on mild sunny days over winter, shutting them before temperatures drop early in the afternoon. A combination of high temperatures and low light makes leaves and stems soft, spindly and prone to grey mould which spreads rapidly in cool, damp conditions. Though good air circulation is vital, […]
The greenhouse is now playing host to all of those plants that need a bit of protection over the winter, cheek by jowl. Wasabi is not one that needs it, and yet I have found a corner for it anyway. I have been growing wasabi – the stuff that you dab delicately onto sushi and […]
Astonishing discoveries about the biological communications network beneath our feet suggest new ways we can wire our gardens into the web of life. Almost a year ago to the day, I began liberating parts of my garden from what had become a black plastic mulch-covered tomb. I imagined, amidst the enthusiasm, that it was all […]
I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my gardening life. One of the biggest isn’t about plants; it’s about pots. I brood on this mistake every year about this time, as I nurse sore muscles from hauling 35 or 40 terra-cotta pots down the basement stairs. Years ago, I decided I liked the look of terra-cotta […]
Pomegranate, Punica granatum, is a small tree native to the Mediterranean reaches of the near east, and so in zones where the temperature drops below 40F, is a pretty and productive addition to a conservatory garden. Otherwise it will be happy outdoors in regions with arid hot summers and cool winters. In either situation, pomegranate […]
How to help garden #wildlife survive winter: tips from @lialeendertz https://t.co/lycz4R5VLc #gardens https://t.co/9yzGIEtLwW
Jean Vernon retells the story of Johnny Appleseed and encourages a little tree planting Yes you can grow apple trees from the pips inside ripe apple fruits, but if you want a reliable crop of tasty apples it’s not the best way to get started. If you have a large area and want to experiment […]
“Suit your plants to your soil, rather than creating soil to suit your plants.” That’s what Paul Bonine tells me. He’s the co-owner of Xera Plants, in Portland, Oregon, and author of the upcoming Gardening in the Pacific Northwest—A Complete Homeowners Guide. The results of following his advice? We’d all experience less struggle, less work, […]
