Month: June 2009
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Bug Protective Clothing for Gardeners, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control
Hey, BUG OFF !
While I genuinely believe that every living thing on earth has it’s purpose —I am a nature lover, after all— there are times when some residents of my garden do try my patience. For one thing —particularly in a rainy year— there are the mosquitoes. It’s bad enough that these whiney bugs buzz my ears […]
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Great Growers and Nurseries, Plant hunting, Rare Plants, Tropical Plants
The Old School House Plantery …… Vermont Growers with an Internet Following for Rare Garden, Greenhouse and House Plants…
Aisles of unusual and rare plants at the Old School House Plantery, Brattleboro, Vermont. Impatiens zombensis (click to enlarge photo) During the recent, prolonged rainy period in Vermont, John and Diane Miller of The Old Schoolhouse Plantery in West Brattleboro, kindly invited me over to have a look inside their greenhouse. I pass by the […]
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Garden Design, Garden Paths, Garden Visits, Inspirational Gardens, Public Gardens, Travel
Finding Inspiration in Public Gardens … The Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts…
Above, The Bridge of Flowers viewed from the bank of the Deerfield River. Â Below, a gravel path leads through The Bridge of Flowers in June… Visiting public gardens has become something of a luxury for me over the past few years. I am a professional gardener and designer, and the busiest season in my line […]
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organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Vegetable Gardening
Help, my garden has been slimed ! Organic methods for controlling slugs and snails…
S L U G S Â ! If you live in New England like I do, you are more than ready for a dose of sunshine ! The east coast has been having a long stretch of rainy weather this month, creating many wet-weather challenges for vegetable and flower gardeners. One of the most destructive groups […]
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Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, pruning
Pruning Lilacs: Now is the Time, and Here are the Keys to Keep This Old-Time Favorite Looking It’s Best…
Syringa vulgaris, “Mme. Lemoine”, double, white Of the many questions I am asked by gardeners during consultations, seminars and social gatherings, the most frequently posed is: “When should I prune my lilac?”, often quickly followed by, “How do I prune my lilac?”. These are both very good questions because the well-timed, correct pruning of this […]
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Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Native Plants, Plant Spotlight, Woodland plants
June Flowering Shrub Spotlight : Our Native Mountain Laurel, Kalmia Latifolia
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia, ‘Pink Charm’) in a naturalistic planting between boulders… One of the great native shrubs of North America, mountain laurel, (Kalmia latifolia), is also a beautiful and versatile garden plant. Â With nearly 100 cultivars ranging in size from the diminutive, (12″ high plants suitable for small spaces and rock gardens), to the […]
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Composting, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, organic gardening, soil science, Vegetable Gardening
Composting Basics, for Beginners…
Compost Love Learning to make your own compost is one of the most economical and effective ways to build fertile, organic garden soil. Fortunately, it is also one of the simplest garden skills to learn. Plants grown in compost-supplemented soil tend to be stronger, healthier and more disease resistant. Organic garden compost adds valuable nutrients […]
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Artful Garden Objects, Bowls, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Pots, Sculpture, Urns and Vessels
Sculpture and Artful Objects in the Garden…
Every now and again, I encounter a place in a garden where something seems to be missing. Usually, the space is calling for artful punctuation. I have discovered that sometimes the design element  I am looking for in a garden isn’t a plant at all. On occasion the smooth terra cotta surface of an urn, […]
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Annual Flowers, annuals, companion planting, Garden Science, Organic Disease Control, Organic Insect Control, Planting Techniques, Vegetable Gardening
Companion Planting in the Organic Vegetable Garden
Chives and thyme in the potager Companion planting is a very old-world, organic gardening method. Unfortunately, much companion planting knowledge has fallen out of use and favor in modern times due to a focus on efficiency. Of course on large farms efficiency is very important, but in a home garden I prefer to concentrate as […]
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