Cold Climate Gardening

I took a stroll around the garden, and this is what I found . . .

Double pink columbine (Aquilegia hybrid). This sowed
itself by our main door in a crack in the concrete where the steps meet the
final pad. It must be very happy there because it comes back bigger and […]

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I’m once again having agricultural problems. No, not further problems with shothole borers. This time it is an infestation of aphids on my young cherry tree, and some kind of leaf chewing caterpillar abusing my newly planted apple tree.
After a prodigious use of soapy water and several bug-squashing episodes (which left my fingers stained with […]

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Well, today I watered all my little babies. With some plants, you feel like you should be nominated for “Gardener of the Year” for how beautifully they’re doing. With other plants, you are just grateful that there is no Society Against Cruelty to Plants, because otherwise you’d have black helicopters circling the house! That is […]

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The DR Brush Mower is not starting. I’ve done a fair amount of mowing already this year, and have had no problem with the mower, so the no start came as a surprise. I went through the checklist, and I think the problem is that I need a new spark plug. (Hope, hope.)
I need to […]

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Yesterday I potted on 140 assorted zinnias, most of which I had assumed would not be sprouting. The newest seed was 2 years old, the older seed went back as far as 1996, I think. The zinnias don’t really want to be potted on, they want to be planted. I refuse, though, to plant […]

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A perfect example of mountain weather: last week it snowed most of the day on Saturday, freezing us thoroughly at the Farmers’ Market–and yesterday it was over 90F –parboiling us at the market. Last night we had a hellacious thunderstorm with hail & winds that knocked down trees. At least I won’t have […]

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I’ve just read about a wonderful hydrangea at the Renegade Gardener website. I’ve recommended Don Engebretson’s site before, and I’m glad to do it again. His description of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’ convinced me that I’ve just got to have one. Too bad it won’t be available nationally till next year. Well, that just gives […]

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