A group of gardeners in Philadelphia is taking home less than half of its crop this year and giving the rest to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Volunteers at the Doylestown Mennonite Church turn up twice a week to tend their varieties of plants including tomatoes, peppers, carrots, potatoes, squash, beans, herbs and flowers, […]
Growing plants in a high-rise building can be a tricky proposition for even the most green-fingered of individuals, but getting it right can be very rewarding, an expert has suggested. In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Center City landscape architect Michael LoFurno said the exaggerated weather conditions at height can be difficult to deal […]
I always have mixed feelings at this time of year. Overhead, the trees are closing in, like shade cloth covering a greenhouse. In my garden that shade, as welcome as will be when it protects me and my garden from the hot Midwestern summer to come, means an end to the season of sunlight and […]
Container herbs are one of the most rewarding plants greenhouse and gardening enthusiasts can cultivate as they look great and can make a real difference in the kitchen. According to Jo Ann Gardner in Fine Gardening magazine, lemon thyme is one of the best of the bunch and can be an "attractive, upright mound of […]
For gardeners working on a budget, there are several ways to improve an outside space and grow lots of produce without breaking the bank. That is the opinion of Patricia Ziegler-Boccadoro, who wrote in an article for the South Whitehall Patch that metallic pinwheels costing $1 each, for example, can keep hungry animals away from […]
If you’ve ever picked one, you know that nothing can compare with the flavor of a fresh strawberry. But growing strawberries in your backyard can be daunting. First, it requires large amounts of sunny space — at least one foot between plants, and three between rows. You’ll have to weed or mulch them, or risk […]
On a recent spring day, I had the opportunity to visit Planting Fields, located in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Once a remarkable private estate, it is now managed by the State of New York. Its name comes from the Matinecock Indians–the original cultivators of the fertile clearings above Long Island Sound. Although Henry Hudson stopped […]
Nine Newcomers for Every Gardener’s Wish-List As a garden writer, I get to grow new plant introductions when they first come to market. But not all the freebies fare equally well in my garden. After a long cold Northwest winter and spring, here are the best and brightest. They not only survived—they thrived. Look for […]
April is the cruelest month, if only because that’s when slugs and snails start to proliferate. Usually, in this column I seek out an expert to follow, but as far as these slimy underleaf denizens are concerned, I am an expert. After all, I live in Eugene, Oregon, where every year we crown our own […]
What is the best way to start vegetables and annual flowers? Factors to consider include your available indoor space, your time, and the space and temperature requirements of the plants you want to grow. Some crops, such as peas, resent moving, and it’s best to plant them where they’ll stay. This is also true of […]
As we enjoy the lengthening sunlight of late winter, it’s hard to imagine being interested in shade. But if you’re planning to build a greenhouse, creating shade for the hottest days of summer should be on your list of considerations. While it’s possible to grow plants in hot greenhouse environments, high temperatures will limit the […]
Orchids stand apart. At flower shows these movie stars of the plant world gather under the lights, their jewel-tone speckled faces shining. But I confess— Orchidaceae’s astonishing allure has always passed me by. However, that changed last month, when my friend Ann Murphy, Director of Marketing for the Oregon Association of Nurseries, invited me to […]
