Trees aren’t the only ones whose sap rises in springtime. The balmy weather we’ve been having is driving every gardener I know crazy with desire; they’re frenzied with wanting to get out, get planting, and get growing. But before you content yourself with pruning, keep in mind that a little restraint is a good [...]
Archive for February, 2009
Pruning pointers
Posted in Trees and shrubs, tagged gardening, pruning, Trees on February 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Chatting with Amy Goldman
Posted in Vegetables and fruit, tagged Amy Goldman, gardening, heirlooms, tomatoes, vegetables on February 21, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Amy Goldman is on a mission to keep heirlooms in the hands of those who grow and enjoy them. Chairperson of Seed Savers Exchange and author of The Heirloom Tomato, she spoke with alarm of the seedless tomato offered by Burpee. “Breeding the life out of a fruit is anathema to me. Taking seeds out of [...]
USDA plants one in their yard
Posted in Uncategorized on February 18, 2009 | 1 Comment »
In a dramatic move to break with traditional agriculture (a little, let’s not get too hasty), the USDA on February 12 began breaking up pavement at their facility in Washington, D.C. to establish a community garden. From their press release : “Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today “broke pavement” on the inaugural USDA The People’s Garden [...]
Fungus gnat control
Posted in Bad bugs, icky diseases, and operator error, Houseplants on February 16, 2009 | 3 Comments »
One of the drawbacks to moving plants indoors for the winter is that they bring their friends with them. You find a sunny nook for the plant to enjoy, coddle it for a few months, watering or giving it the odd shot of fertilizer. Everything’s fine. But then odd things begin in other areas of [...]
Start plants from seed
Posted in Uncategorized, Vegetables and fruit on February 10, 2009 | 2 Comments »
The best advice I’ve ever been given was to grow the type of vegetable that is unique or hard to find. Cheap, easy run-of-the-mill veggies can be purchased at the grocer’s, but for the love of food, start your plants from seeds. It’s easy, as long as you have a bit of space and [...]
Shopping – the fourth season
Posted in Uncategorized on February 8, 2009 | 1 Comment »
My husband handed me an article from the paper, a Bud Wells column on the new Lexus IS250. That’s right – a car, so when I glanced at the first two paragraphs, I handed it back saying “I’m not going to read this.” Please understand: the writer talks about split torque and traction advantages, and [...]
Time to winter water
Posted in Trees and shrubs, Uncategorized on February 5, 2009 | 6 Comments »
What an awful day – beautiful blue sky, with not a cloud to be seen. Warm temperatures in the upper 60’s. No breeze. This is early February; the weather should be cool and moist, keeping our trees, shrubs and plants dormant for a little while longer. But because Mother Nature has been feeling warm and [...]
Hello world!
Posted in Uncategorized on February 4, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Just getting started in the blogosphere after spending most of my life in the garden. We’re under construction right now, but check back regularly for posts on gardening for the time-challenged; that is, those of us who squeeze it in after getting off work at five.
