February 2011

Grow the Good Life: Book Review

February 25, 2011

My first reaction upon opening Grow the Good Life: Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise by Michele Owens was, “Ah, a gardening book without pictures.” I am more of an essay person myself, and it seems like it has been a long time since I have found a newly [...]

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Forced Hyacinths for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day February 2011

February 15, 2011

Just like last year, I forced some hyacinths to cheer me up. I think I was a little more successful than last year. First of all, I used good quality bulbs. Last year I bought some on impulse at a big box store. This year I subscribed to Brent and Becky’s email newsletter and waited [...]

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Winter Garden Design

February 11, 2011

I just read an interview with Piet Oudolf in the New York Times about designing a garden for winter. I was glad to see he was asked, “What do you do if you live in an area with much snow?” His answer was less than satisfying. When the snow comes down dry, it doesn’t flatten [...]

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A Winter Walk

February 10, 2011

Most people living in a cold climate would probably tell you it isn’t the cold that bothers them as much as the endless succession of dreary, cloudy days. (Heck, even people in the balmy Pacific Northwest complain about how dark it is in winter!) Well, today it was sunny for a change, so I went [...]

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Essays on Gardening in a Cold Climate: Book Review

February 7, 2011

Living in Ontario, Brian Bixley has the well-earned ambivalence of the cold climate gardener, calling winter “the icicle in the soul of the gardener” and yet acknowledging its “shivery perfection.” But the range of his thought and the dry subtlety of his wit in Essays on Gardening in a Cold Climate go beyond the confines [...]

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Upstate Gardeners’ Journal: Read It Online for Free!

February 1, 2011

Upstate Gardeners’ Journal, the regional gardening magazine for Upstate NY, now publishes all issues online, for free. This is terrific news for gardeners like me who don’t live close enough to Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, or Ithaca to stop by a garden center and pick up a free print copy. I went to the Upstate Gardeners’ [...]

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