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About Karen Bussolini

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So far Karen Bussolini has created 126 blog entries.

I Won! 2020 Garden Comm Media Awards

Karen Bussolini won 2020 GardenComm (Garden Communicators International) Silver Media awards in three categories. The Media Awards program recognizes individuals and companies who achieve the highest levels of talent and professionalism in garden communications.

By |2020-07-31T11:38:48-04:00July 14th, 2020|Categories: News|Comments Off on I Won! 2020 Garden Comm Media Awards

Last Chance for June Cutbacks

Life is too short to fuss with staking perennials to keep them upright and looking good. It's easy to control the eventual height of many perennials if you cut them back early. Cutting back stimulates new branching.

By |2020-07-14T14:38:16-04:00July 3rd, 2020|Categories: Garden Coaching, How-To's|Comments Off on Last Chance for June Cutbacks

Allium Christophii – A Garden Goldilocks

Showy Star of Persia (Allium christophii, aka A. albopilosum) is a garden star. It's a Goldilocks plant - not too tall, not too short, with easy-to-hide foliage, just the right-sized flowering globes - and pizzazz to spare.  

By |2020-07-14T14:39:20-04:00June 12th, 2020|Categories: Great Plants, Views|Comments Off on Allium Christophii – A Garden Goldilocks

Dealing With Daffodil Foliage

Ripening daffodil foliage is not a pretty picture. But knotting, braiding,bunching, wrapping with rubber bands, bending leaves or cutting them down too soon is detrimental to the health of the plant. Look for good companions to hide and support bulb foliage.

By |2020-07-01T15:51:04-04:00May 30th, 2020|Categories: Great Plants, How-To's|Comments Off on Dealing With Daffodil Foliage

The Art and Science of Mingling

In nature, you don't see plants just sitting there next to each other, politely not touching. They grow together, in community, without wood chip mulch in between, without social distancing. How do they manage to mingle, and how can we emulate natural plant communities in our home landscapes?  

By |2020-07-01T15:51:04-04:00May 20th, 2020|Categories: Clues, Garden Coaching|Comments Off on The Art and Science of Mingling

Eating Really Locally

I've been making a game of seeing how long I can go without going to the grocery store. That means not just living in the garden, but living on what grows in it.

By |2020-07-01T15:51:04-04:00May 15th, 2020|Categories: Views|Comments Off on Eating Really Locally

Step Up Your Eco-Game: Part 1. Brainstorm and Lay Out Gardens On-Site

How to get rid of lawn - equivalent to an ecological desert - and create perennial beds under trees. An eco-friendly garden coach and homeowner brainstormed together and laid out new beds to create an attractive eco-friendly yard that attracts wildlife and is easy to maintain.

By |2020-07-01T15:51:04-04:00May 3rd, 2020|Categories: Garden Coaching, How-To's|Comments Off on Step Up Your Eco-Game: Part 1. Brainstorm and Lay Out Gardens On-Site

What Are Your Weeds Telling You? And What To Do About It

In my training as a NOFA-Accredited Organic Land Care Professional, I was intrigued to learn a bit about what the plants we call weeds reveal about soil. Wanting to learn more, I called the instructor Michael Nadeau, Wholistic Land Care Consultant at his home in Connecticut. Mike, a leading authority on sustainable organic and ethical [...]

By |2020-07-01T15:51:04-04:00April 25th, 2020|Categories: Clues, Garden Coaching|Comments Off on What Are Your Weeds Telling You? And What To Do About It

Do Native Plants Have a P.R. Problem? Depends How You Look At It

In this season of rapidly emerging garden weeds, Doug Tallamy's recently published Nature's Best Hope really got me thinking about how subjective and value-skewed the word "weed" is. We want plants with wildlife value but get tripped up with words that carry a lot of baggage. The common definition of weed as a plant out of place is subject to all sorts of interpretations. It depends on your point of view.

By |2020-07-01T15:51:04-04:00April 4th, 2020|Categories: Views|Comments Off on Do Native Plants Have a P.R. Problem? Depends How You Look At It