Garden chores

Mulch Can Kill Trees

– Posted in: Garden chores, How-to

Mulch can kill trees--that sounds kind of extreme, doesn't it? But it caught your attention, right? I suppose it would be more accurate to say improper mulching can kill trees, but as I look around me, improper mulching of trees seems to be the standard practice, the only kind of mulching around trees that's being [...]

Garden Lines

– Posted in: Garden chores, Lilactree Farm

........................................The curious stranger roves, With grateful travel, through a wild of groves; And though directed, oft mistakes his way, Unknowing where the winding mazes stray; Yet still his feet the magic paths pursue, Charmed, though bewildered, with the pleasing view. Stephen Duck, 1731 The hedge clipping was finished yesterday (October 5). We have a variety [...]

Alfalfa on Roses

– Posted in: Garden chores, Roses

Today I put alfalfa pellets around my roses and scratched it into the soil. The odd thing was, I couldn't remember why I was doing it. I knew I had read, or had been told, that it was good to give roses some alfalfa as they're just leafing out. But I couldn't remember where I [...]

Choose locations to plant fall bulbs now

– Posted in: Garden chores, Plant info, Snowdrops, What's up/blooming

In January, the snowdrops in the Secret Garden looked like this: This Sunday just passed--March 7th--those same snowdrops looked like this: Such are the vagaries of an upstate New York winter. Since then, the temperatures have been mild and the sunshine brilliant, and the snow is receding. This, my fellow cold climate gardeners, is the [...]

Planting Tulips, Part 2

– Posted in: Garden chores

Yesterday I told you how I finally realized species tulips planted in the peony bed would help to bridge the bloom gap of late spring. I got the tulips chosen and purchased, and now I'm going to show you how I planted them. The Smartest Way to Plant 150 Tulip Bulbs But first let's talk [...]

Planting Tulips, Part 1

– Posted in: Garden chores

After the snowdrops, after the crocuses, after the daffodils, there is just about nothing blooming in the front of the house until the June show of peonies, irises, and poppies. I have not been the first person to notice this bloom gap, not by a long shot, and the traditional recommendation is to plant tulips [...]