gardening

Why do I garden? Why does an artist paint? Why does a pianist spend days practicing for an hour long concert? The truth is, I don't know why I garden. I don't know why I have an affinity for plants, a need to see them thrive, a hungering for their beauty. As a child, I [...]

Quite a while back I cast aspersions on the ability of a southerner to write a book about northern gardening. I take it back. Felder Rushing has done an excellent job writing Tough Plants for Northern Gardens: Low Care, No Care, Tried and True Winners. Mr. Rushing, sir, I apologize. Turns out the man has [...]

In my series on Garden Blog Pioneers, I reported in the final part that Notes From Zone 4 was MIA. Well, they're back. If you ever had doubts that a cold climate garden could look good, take one look at their banner image and doubt no more. Then, appetite whetted, browse through their gallery. A [...]

It's great fun to compose wishlists of seeds to try and plants to grow, but, you know, you have to put those plants somewhere. Figuring out where to put them is called the design process. I've come across two books lately that help. The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer by Stephanie Cohen and Nancy J. Ondra [...]

I just want you to know I am continuing my resolve to get stronger for gardening. You got that right--it's not spring training, it's training for spring!

Gardeners know that the calendar year is an artificial construct. It's not even so much that the new year really begins in spring, as that to everything there is a season. Consequently, I find the concept of New Year's resolutions rather alien to my thinking and way of life. I am resolving to do better [...]