December 21st is what we officially refer to as the Winter Solstice. This day has the ignominious distinction of being the shortest day of the year (in the northern hemisphere). Of course, while every day is essentially the same length (24 hours the last time I checked) the 21st has…
Compost, It's What Makes Our Gardens Survive Extreme Weather
Recently I had one of my readers reach out to me and inquire about how all the weather extremes of 2021 might impact our gardening experiences in 2022. It is a good question that is worth exploring, especially since I suspect this won’t be the last time we see such extremes in temperature, rainfall, and snow. Here are some of my thoughts…
“One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.” W.E. Johns
I don’t know how you all feel about 2021, but for me it was like circling the airport waiting for clearance to land and never getting it. Oh sure, we made a couple of approaches and were really close to touching down, but then at the last minute the tower waved us off. There was great anticipation that maybe this was finally it and life would return to normal, or at least something close to normal. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. But thankfully…





Honesty is always the best policy and since I promised a “Trilogy of Conifers” last week, on we go with even more conifer mojo. We explored their variations in color, texture and growth habits for local landscapes. In episode two this week, I want to focus on the many calming shades of blue, highlighting some selections with both superior color and shape…