Why grow organic food?
I am an organic gardener and find it very interresting that so many people think it’s hard work to garden organically. That’s the way they did it a long time ago. Before chemicals and poisons. They worked the land and they knew the plants and the soil. Back then, the soil was healthy and healthy [...]
Straight cut pruning method
“I’m curious about the details of that pruning method that some Brits use for bushes. You know, the one where you just make a straight cut across the middle top of the bush. Does anyone have any details about it? Where do you choose your line? Do you do any other “lateral” pruning. Etc. Etc.” [...]
Sad Mini Roses
I was rather silly and bought a small pot of mini roses from my neighbourhood No Frills Store. They are in really sad shape. No spots, no insects that I can see, but the leaves are drying up and dropping every time I turn around. Both the dried up ones, and seemingly healthy ones are [...]
Easy Care Roses
I can’t think of any rose that is “easy care.” They all require heavy doses of organic matter, a good drink twice a week, and plenty of sunshine for optimum growing. I suppose wild roses growing in their native environment would be the easiest care. We have plenty in east Tennessee–large areas of white blossoms [...]
Favorite gardening style
I really prefer perenials, to me shrubs are gaudy if you have to many. Perenials have such a wide range of color, season and use. I like to use bushy herbs also like thyme, sage, mint etc. there is nothing like picking a few fresh herbs for cooking. I like lillies because of the long [...]
Gardening with children
I am looking for suggestions on raising a large vegetable and flower children with small children and limited resources. I just have had tools to use after I have the garden stop tilled with a large tractor before planting. I’ve always had trouble rounding up enough children and then getting them to hold still long [...]
Twigs in Compost
There are a bunch of twigs in my large pile of compost. I don’t see any need to remove them. It would be a lot of work. The twigs are up to 1/4 in. in diam. and max 6 in. long, and come from apple trees. The compost is destined for a vegetable garden. Will [...]
Ten reasons to “NOT” use roundup
Roundup, and related herbicides with glyphosate as an active ingredient, are advertised as products that can “eradicate weeds and unwanted grasses effectively with a high level of environmental safety.” However, an independent, accurate evaluation of their health and environmental hazards can draw conclusions very different from those presented in the ads. Consider these facts: 1. [...]
Help me winterize my perennial flowerbeds
1. The Lilly are dead, and have fallen over. I assume I can cut those down to the ground, and mulch, and they’ll come back next year fine? 2. The Coreopsis (we love that one) are still upright, but are totally brown and dead. Should we cut them off to the ground? 3. The Maynight [...]
Cuke Q for Planter
I’ve got my pot for the cukes I’m doing in a container (it’s a polyethylene? about 10-12″ and “yes” I’ve had the holes drilled out). I’m in Zone 5, north of Boston BTW. I also bought the special seeds that are put out for container plants, and of course I just bought my soil mix. [...]
Plant now or Wait ?
I have an 800 sq. ft. area in my overall property which has been a slighty indented ,swampy, peice of lawn for quite awhile now. I’ve decided to truck in enough loam to cover the area and raise it by 6 inches. My question is, should I start my flower gardening in it right away [...]
Swedish Gardens
For a future magazine article, I’m interested in information regarding Swedish gardens, particularly from emigrants who remember gardens from their homeland, or stories told by mothers or grandmothers. Can include vegetable gardens, but am particularly interested in flower gardening and/or plants used for folk medicines. If anyone knows of published sources on the topic, I’d [...]
