Martha, October, and the magic of Li Ziqi – A Letter to the Midwest
October 17, 2020 Lovettsville, VA Dear Scott, Well, August is well and truly behind us. I don’t remember September. It had something to do with a copyediting deadline on the [...]
Marianne Willburn
Is Naming Your Garden Pretentious?
Ever ready to object when I hear the word ‘pretentious’ used to condemn something that might warrant a deeper conversation and a bottle of wine, I have recently found myself [...]
‘Martha Knows Best’ Is Not Great. It’s Not Even a Good Thing.
So, it’s come to this. As a nation, we are so starved for American garden programming that we are willing to accept that a woman worth over $620 million dollars, [...]
In Defense of The Lawn
Last week, Susan Harris emailed me regarding my recent article “In Defense of The Lawn” in the July/August issue of The American Gardener magazine. “Can we use it for the [...]
Looking for Something More Positive
Lovettsville, VA Dear Scott, Rain. Glorious rain! The exclamation point is, I assure you, fully justified. After three and a half weeks without the stuff and without piped water to [...]
The SEO Garden: A Letter to the Midwest
June 26, 2020 Lovettsville, VA Dear Scott, Well, as your letter writing skills are obviously taking second place to your Facebook overshares, I thought I would pick up the baton [...]
Country Mouse or City Mouse. Which Are You?
Well, Elon Musk’s plan of moving some of us to Mars is looking better by the day. Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org Were I to apply, I think I’d have [...]
Lingering Springs, Bittersweet Memories and The Evolution of a Gardener
May 14, 2020 Lovettsville, VA Dear Scott, My heart aches for you and your family coping with the loss of your mother. In a normal year it would be emotionally [...]
Gardening with Your Hands Tied: HOA Regulations vs. The Inspired Gardener
Well, it’s comforting to know that in the midst of world chaos, economic devastation and unprecedented anxiety, the HOA Clipboard Police are still doing their jobs. While chatting with a [...]
What does “Rural Metro DC Area” even mean?
The latest in the on-going correspondence between Marianne Willburn and Scott Beuerlein. 6 March 2020 Lovettsville, VA Dear Scott, I am grateful to digital correspondence in that I cannot catch [...]
Winter Sun & Guilty Joy: A Letter to The Midwest
From the editor: Rant readers following the verbal sparring between our own Scott Beuerlein and guest ranter Marianne Willburn may be wondering if the daggers had been sheathed for good [...]
Hire Help or Lose My Sanity. Confessions of a Garden Writer Who Doesn’t Medicate. Yet.
The office is lightly scented with pencil shavings and old coffee mugs this morning. Not an unpleasant smell, but an unfamiliar one. I have ignored this room for two weeks [...]