winter

Overcome the “Dead of Winter” in your Garden

Overcome the “Dead of Winter” in your Garden

As we enter another year, I am excited to see what 2024 brings for all of us gardeners.  New plant flavors to salivate over, new tools to make our lives easier, and new practices to learn and implement in our landscapes.  The cycle in the garden starts once again, often acting as…

50 Shade Of Yellow - The Sequel

50 Shade Of Yellow - The Sequel

It should be no surprise that in the last few weeks of the year I would take one more opportunity to promote the allure and value of golden foliaged plants.  As we move into the dark months of the year, these beacons of light become absolutely essential in keeping our interest in the garden.  This hit home for me the other day as I…

50 Shades Of Brown

50 Shades Of Brown

First off, my apologizes to writer E.L. James for riffing on his popular novel title “50 Shades of Grey”.  I rather doubt that my comments here will ever make it to the big screen.  Just the same, the month of December in my garden is a pretty steamy mix of tan, brown, or black (and all the shades in between) emanating from foliage, seed heads, and bark, and frankly, I find it pretty stimulating…

Slow Down And Enjoy The “Quiet Time” In The Garden

Slow Down And Enjoy The “Quiet Time” In The Garden

First off, Happy New Year and congratulations on surviving all that 2022 threw at us.  Despite a soggy spring, long dry summer, and a killer freeze in December, I consider the year a success.  I made considerable progress in my new garden, planting a ton of new plants and…

How cold is too cold? It depends…

How cold is too cold?  It depends…

As we move into the winter season, I am often asked when we should worry and provide protection for our landscapes. There are, of course, many variables that can affect winter hardiness in a plant, but in general, my rule of thumb is…

Wreath Making Is Back Again - YAY!

Wreath Making Is Back Again - YAY!

For the last two years I have been missing one of my favorite activities this time of year… wreath making at my favorite garden center! Before the pandemic, wreath making had become an annual ritual for our family - it was part of our holiday season festivities, and to a large part helped get us into the mood. Well, I am happy to report that Sunnyside Nursery (along with several other garden centers in the area) are now offering this activity once again, and I for one can’t wait to reserve a spot. Here is a little information about what goes on behind the scenes to make this all happen…

Disaster In The New Garden

Disaster In The New Garden

Okay, this title is probably a bit more dramatic than it needs to be. The truth is, that while I lost a ton of new plants from last year’s plantings, both from the record heatwave in the summer and the colder-than-usual winter, I probably planted too many in the first place and would have thinned out several of them anyway. Just the same, I think I would have preferred that I made those decisions and not Mother Nature. So much for the illusion that we are in control of our gardens…

Compost, It's What Makes Our Gardens Survive Extreme Weather

Compost, It's What Makes Our Gardens Survive Extreme Weather

Recently I had one of my readers reach out to me and inquire about how all the weather extremes of 2021 might impact our gardening experiences in 2022. It is a good question that is worth exploring, especially since I suspect this won’t be the last time we see such extremes in temperature, rainfall, and snow. Here are some of my thoughts…

The Dreaded November To-Do List

The Dreaded November To-Do List

The recent freeze we experienced over this last weekend should have been a wakeup call for gardeners to take care of some chores before winter finally sets in…