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Plants I’ve Loved and Tossed

We all fall in love with plants - and then at some point, we're so over it. I've loved and lost many plants over the past 30+ years. But I've loved and tossed plenty of them too. Sometimes a plant just isn't as interesting as I first thought. Or it was a hot new release [...]

By |2021-04-26T18:51:16-04:00April 5th, 2021|Categories: Clues, Garden Coaching|Comments Off on Plants I’ve Loved and Tossed

Get Amaryllis to Bloom Again Next Year

Amaryllis (properly Hippeastrum) are the gifts that keep on giving. This year I've had the privilege of filling my house with top-sized potted bulbs from White Flower Farm. No more cheap supermarket bulbs for me. Eventually the show will be over.  But after enjoying two or three bloom stems with clusters of colorful trumpets, I'm [...]

By |2021-03-07T09:08:10-05:00February 26th, 2021|Categories: Garden Coaching, How-To's|Comments Off on Get Amaryllis to Bloom Again Next Year

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

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

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