Articles
Delicious Harvest Season Can Last All Year
August 2012
August is the time to reap the fruits, herbs and vegetables of our labor in a big way. Here are fun, tasty and creative ideas on what to do with all that wealth.
If you’ve planted varieties of tomatoes that include early ripening sweet cherry types, meaty mid-size ones and the larger, later beefsteaks, have a tasting party to compare flavor and desirability. Spreading your wealth over the growing season protects against losses should a pest or disease attack one variety more so than another.
Focal Point - The Gardener’s Exclamation Mark
July 2012
Aesthetically pleasing features that draw ones eye in a compelling way can make the landscape fun or relaxing to spend time in and interesting to view from a distance. Even areas and plantings intended to be functional like an edible garden can be improved with creative design of vertical supports and deliberate placement of plant material.
The number of focal points within a landscape should be determined by the size of the space, the architectural style of nearby structures and feeling you intend to impart. If too busy, it keeps any one thing from standing out and receiving the attention it rightfully deserves. Calming views are needed for the eye and mind to rest, and help make an area feel larger.
Eye Catching Gardens Reflect Who You Are
June 2012
I felt like a bee on this morning’s walk, buzzing from landscape to landscape with camera in hand. Although I mostly viewed front and side yards, there was plenty to see and appreciate. I was collecting images of creative and interesting details that inspired me the most.
Smoke, Heat Necessitate Special Care for Gardens
June 2012
With hot, dry and smoky conditions likely to be here for the summer, a perspective is gained by looking at the overall design of life, in and out of the garden.
First and foremost, we can be grateful if we still have a garden to find respite in, although keeping plants in town hydrated is even becoming a challenge. A 2-4 inch layer of mulch such as compost, dried grass clippings and stockpiled fall leaves work great for edibles. Watering early morning or late evening allows time for moisture to soak into the ground and plants to absorb it.
Making Pollinators a Priority
April 2012
I was in my vegetable garden when the welcome sound of bees caught my attention. The buzz of activity was coming from a nearby MacIntosh apple. I was relieved to hear them since an abundant harvest of apples and many other food crops depends on sufficient numbers of these pollinators.
And although the blossoms of my strawberries are self-fertile, they still need insects or wind to cross-pollinate them. Hence my reluctance to remove the ubiquitous dandelion plants around my edibles, instead preferring to create a safe haven for pollinators.