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So far Karen Bussolini has created 126 blog entries.

The “Self-Taught” Gardener

Having studied painting rather than horticulture or landscape design, I long thought of myself as a self-taught gardener as I felt my way along the convoluted path to where I am today. But that's not quite right. Gardens and other gardeners have been my teachers. The gardens that most intrigue me were made by similarly "self-taught" gardeners who spent serious time looking, developed their very personal gardens over time and who never stopped learning, looking and sharing.

By |2020-11-01T12:47:52-05:00October 10th, 2020|Categories: Views|Comments Off on The “Self-Taught” Gardener

Plant “Minor” Bulbs Now for Major Spring Impact

Tiny spring-flowering bulbs are cheap, quick and easy to plant and addictive - there's always room for more. Check out online and catalog offerings (you won't find all that many in garden centers) during fall bulb-planting season and try something new. Thumb or scroll through and buy whatever stirs your heart and suits your conditions.

By |2020-09-27T18:24:18-04:00September 27th, 2020|Categories: Great Plants, How-To's|Comments Off on Plant “Minor” Bulbs Now for Major Spring Impact

Late Season Annual Superstars

Nancy DuBrule-Clemente and Karen Bussolini have a conversation about our mutual struggle between planting as many native plants as possible to support the entire life cycle of diverse co-evolved wildlife, versus planting ornamental plants that just give us joy, even if they're not native. We discovered that the two are not mutually exclusive. In September, a time of year when many gardens are limping along, Nancy's are as exuberant as she is, She has enough flowers to feed wildlife and cut for arrangements too.

By |2020-09-27T18:10:50-04:00September 24th, 2020|Categories: Clues, Great Plants|Comments Off on Late Season Annual Superstars

Wrestling With the Good Guys

Among the many native perennials in my landscape, goldenrod has the highest ecological and wildlife value. It's a standout "good guy," a beneficent prince. It's also one of the worst thugs in the prime real estate of my gardens. I've had to draw the line between garden (where I don't want them to seed in) and landscape (where they can run rampant).

By |2020-09-27T17:45:11-04:00September 19th, 2020|Categories: Views|Comments Off on Wrestling With the Good Guys

Looking Into Sumac

I’ve always loved staghorn sumac’s tropical-looking leaves, young stems resembling velvety antlers (hence its common name), plumy cream-colored flowers, spectacular fall color and fuzzy red berry clusters (only on female plants - they’re dioecious). But I had no idea how much interrelated life, drama, trickery, sex, life and death went on in its embrace until the show was right under my nose.

By |2020-08-31T13:06:57-04:00August 11th, 2020|Categories: Great Plants, Views|Comments Off on Looking Into Sumac

Pollinators – View from the Farm

Creating a reliable food system calls for a shift of priorities from efficient and as cheap as possible to reliable and local. It needs to be about reliability and nourishment. The big threat is lack of pollination services. To protect the pollinators we must plant native plants and protect habitat.

By |2020-07-31T11:32:30-04:00July 31st, 2020|Categories: Views|Comments Off on Pollinators – View from the Farm