Cold Climate Gardening

I noticed some inquires about “Walls o’ Water. These are adverised in many seed catalogs, Park and Jung included. Don’t know if the inquiry about an unheated porch was in reference to mine, but mine is galssed in and warm enough right now to put the potted peony roots, which have already sprouted […]

[Read more →]

After the miserable snowy weather in the middle of March the month has made a dramatic turn for the better in these last few days. It started on Sunday the 28th which dawned clear and sunny. The day followed in the steps of the morning and Monday kept up the same and today as well. […]

[Read more →]

The snow banks are coming down; we can actually see grass in a few places. The Park’s Whopper and Gardener’s Delight tomatoes are just popping up, and can be put in a sunny window shortly, as are the Nagoya Flowering Kale seedlings. However, I’ve found an infestation of white fly on my large geranium […]

[Read more →]

This is my purple-leaved smokebush, Cotinus coggygria ‘Nordine Red.’ I purchased it in 1996 as a small potted plant, and it has always been a strong grower. However, in the last five years or so, branches have started breaking off for no apparent reason. Let me restate that. The branches that break off always […]

[Read more →]

I can buy the seeds, but I can’t seem to start the seeds. They are all organized by starting date, I have a chart in the garden where they will go, but for some reason, I am so not motivated to get the seeds in dirt. I think because once you start the […]

[Read more →]

This year I will wear gloves. This year I will also wear a hat and sunscreen. This year I will stake things. This year I will thin ruthlessly. This year I will spray rotenone or something to get those flea beetles. This year I will stop those rose slugs that […]

[Read more →]

This is a photo of my beloved crocus bank. The driveway runs roughly east to west, downhill all the way. On the south side of the driveway, the lawn runs down fairly steeply to the driveway, forming a bank that I have planted quite densely with crocuses. The crocuses are just getting started, but it […]

[Read more →]