A new year, a new growing season. We are experiencing quite a warm up this month both in the Mid-Atlantic and elsewhere in the Northeast and Midwest. Muddy pathways are not fun, but to walk down to the barn in the morning and feel the sun warm on my face instead of gritting my teeth [...]
December is a month of transition in the gardener’s mind -- I look at it like a well-deserved break and savor every second. The growing season is well and truly over, but most of us are not quite ready to begin the daydreaming which will eventually lead to spring. We're still thinking about this year's [...]
November often starts with gentle frosts and easy, Instagrammable scenes, but by its end, winter is unofficially upon the Mid-Atlantic. Lawns have taken on a muted, tawny shade and the deciduous trees will stand naked by December 1st. Hopefully you have planted some colorful stemmed shrubs and trees to make this transition exciting. [See "I [...]
Not satisfied with feeling overwhelmed with spring cleaning, spring wardrobe changeover, spring home repairs and spring holiday plans, I thought it might be clever to go outside last week, pick up a trowel and increase my anxiety in the spring garden. Beginning the process means a shift in priorities and a horrifying realization of everything [...]
Even though we know better in the Mid-Atlantic, expectations of spring are high in March. The weather of today will not necessarily be the weather of tomorrow; but whether we’re dealing with a blissful weekend warm-up, or our largest snowfall of the season, we know one thing for certain – days are getting longer and [...]
[ed. The following article can also be found stirring up comments at Garden Rant later this week.] Tesselaar’s Blue Storm Agapanthus is worth growing because it’s a high-impact, no-nonsense plant, not because it typifies the 2016 Color of the Year “Serenity” – photo credit: Tesselaar Plants, 2006 Though I enjoy dressing well, I’m [...]
Maybe it's time to stop saying "I should do that this year..." and put the date firmly on the calendar. If you've heard about the Philadelphia Flower show but never been, find a companion, drive into beautiful Philadelphia and experience the magic that wows over a quarter-million visitors every year. The show couldn't be at a better time for [...]
Thrilled to announce that I have recently signed a contract with Skyhorse Publishing for a book to be released in Spring 2017. It’s about creating a garden wherever life finds you, even when it’s not where you thought you’d be by now. If you’re a regular reader of The Small Town Gardener, you’ll know how [...]
In my part of the world, Winter arrives as a gentle jolly spirit and departs like a raving banshee. However, before I start navigating three-inch ice with an ancient Land Cruiser, I plan to enjoy the next month of merry merry merry. In order to do that, I need to be organized. In order [...]
What once was Melones Reservoir in Calaveras County. If you look closely you can see the old bridge once covered by a hundred feet of water. I’m writing from California this week. My whereabouts are usually not relevant in an age of laptops, Wi-Fi cafes and toilet texting, but this week they are, [...]
