Stories of gardening, including design, techniques, and the occasional “how-to.”
Plant Labels
To Label or Not to Label? There are some of us who aspire to put plants together in a considered and beautiful setting in such a way that they offer [...]
There’s a gathering of gardeners in Madison and you’re invited
Here I am with another call-to-action post. This time, it’s for the Garden Bloggers Fling, held this year in Madison, Wisconsin, June 23–26. (Check out the link; there's plenty of [...]
The Truth about Outwitting Squirrels
Copyright Infringement!! The other day I was wondering if readers in America could obtain my books, if they were deluded enough to wish to. I checked on Amazon. I know [...]
What Not to do in your Garden in February.
Still being nagged by those garden writers. I wasn’t going to do this again. I thought that there can’t be many things we’d be told to do in February that [...]
Landscape design vs. garden realities
I have spent decades learning, teaching and working with plants and landscapes. But I hesitate to call myself a landscape designer. My expertise is in the creation of planted ecosystems. [...]
How Do You Use Your Plants? Anne and Marianne Discuss. Part II
The great Gertrude Jekyll famously and rightly said: "The possession of a quantity of plants, however good the plants may be themselves and however ample their number, does not make [...]
Supreme Friends and a Pair of Witch Hazels
This is to connect our Southern Indiana farmhouse, built in 1860, to England’s famed RHS Garden Wisley, founded in 1878, to the legendary horticulturist Mike Dirr, his age doesn’t matter, [...]
The garden as soundscape
Many gardeners enjoy horticulture as an escape from the hustling-bustling side of life, finding peaceful satisfaction in digging, weeding and harvesting. At one time, gardening really was a quiet pursuit, [...]
How Do You Use Your Plants? Anne & Marianne Discuss.
Marianne recently posted about under used plants . and in the comments I responded with "I’m possibly the only person on this planet who thinks that it’s what you do [...]
What NOT to do in your Garden in January
January is a great time for me – I ignore the garden and stay indoors by the fire as much as possible. I love indoors. With a good book. [...]
Closing the gap
Last week someone commented that I—well, the whole site—was crotchety and out of date. I didn’t really mind; we do voice strong opinions and when people don’t agree they can [...]
Is Over Gardening over?
Are the days of the Over Gardened garden nearly over? We have never been able to afford more than day a week of garden help. So when someone referred [...]